Pay and tax
Merced, CA Cost of Living Calculator
Prices in the Merced, CA area are 1.7% below the US average, and housing 21.4% below (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.
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Merced, CA price levels by category (US average = 100)
| Category | Price level | Against the US |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 98.3 | 1.7% below |
| Housing | 78.6 | 21.4% below |
| Goods | 105.2 | 5.2% above |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 58.3% above |
| Other services | 100.3 | about the same as |
What $75,000 in Merced, CA equals in other large metros
| Metro area | Equivalent salary | Prices |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $85,910 | 14.5% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $86,673 | 15.6% |
| Chicago, IL | $79,044 | 5.4% |
| Dallas, TX | $78,662 | 4.9% |
| Houston, TX | $75,229 | 0.3% |
| Washington, DC | $83,087 | 10.8% |
| Philadelphia, PA | $78,281 | 4.4% |
| Atlanta, GA | $76,373 | 1.8% |
| Miami, FL | $87,131 | 16.2% |
| Phoenix, AZ | $78,815 | 5.1% |
How this calculator works
BEA regional price parities for the Merced, CA metropolitan area, 2024: the price of the same basket of goods and services against the US average (100). Equivalent salaries scale by the ratio of the two areas' price levels.
Questions people ask
Is Merced expensive to live in?
Overall prices are 1.7% below the US average; housing is 21.4% below.
What salary do I need in Merced, CA?
To match $75,000 in an average-cost place, about $73,725. The area's median household income is $65,510.
How much is rent in Merced, CA?
The median gross rent (including utilities) is $1,343 a month (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
How does Merced, CA compare with New York?
New York prices are 14.5% relative to Merced, CA: $75,000 here equals $85,910 there.
Nearby and large metro areas
- Los Angeles, CA
- Riverside, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Fresno, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- Oxnard, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Modesto, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Visalia, CA
- Vallejo, CA
- Santa Maria, CA
- Salinas, CA
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Santa Cruz, CA
- New York, NY
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Houston, TX
- Washington, DC
- Philadelphia, PA
Related calculators
Sources
- BEA: Regional price parities by metro area, 2024
- US Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (median rent B25064, income B19013)
Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.