City comparison
Merced, CA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 1.5% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $101,500 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,145 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Waterbury, CT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.7% moving from Merced, CA to Waterbury, CT ($133,060 → $125,431), while prices change by +1.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Merced, CA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,529 in Waterbury | $98,494 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power −1.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,145/yr.
64 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,145/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Merced → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $72,737 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $88,005 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $105,481 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $125,431 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $148,222 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $79,640 | $78,440 (−21.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $131,290 | $129,312 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $93,010 | $91,609 (+13.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $101,690 | $100,158 (−23.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.