Merced, CA
State income tax topping out at 12.3%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,512 and 255 sunny days; commutes average 31 minutes.
Left over monthly
$1,581
Versus Chicago
−$799/mo
−$9,588 a year
Local pay for your job
$79,269
Local wages run -16% vs national
Where the money goes
One earner filing as a household, at 1 bedrooms.
- Taxes$1,543
- Rent$1,270
- Other living costs$2,212
- Left over$1,581
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $79,269
- Federal income tax
- −$9,053
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$6,064
- State income tax (CA)
- −$3,399
- Take-home pay
- $60,753
- Effective tax rate
- 23.4%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,270
- Groceries
- $433
- Getting around
- $642
- Healthcare
- $487
- Utilities and internet
- $271
- Everything else
- $379
- Total spending
- $3,482
Left over each month
$6,606 gross, minus $1,543 in tax and $3,482 in living costs.
$1,581
What living here is like
- Weather
- 255 sunny days, 105°F in July, 41°F January nights
- Getting around
- Plan on a car per adult
- Average commute
- 31 minutes each way
- Size
- 286k people
- Buying instead
- Median home $368,400 — roughly $2,409/mo with 20% down, tax and upkeep
- Taxes
- California income tax. Sales tax 8.8%, property tax 0.68%.
How it scores against what you said matters
- Money left over
- 30
- Sun and mild weather
- 61
- Access to the outdoors
- 66
- City life and culture
- 30
- A short commute
- 35
Chicago vs Merced, line by line
Same job, same household, both tax codes applied.
Open the comparison →Everything else about a move
Paycheck leftover is the start. These pages cover who actually moved, housing, the rest of the month, daily life and kids — still using your household in the URL.
Who moved
Which metros people actually left and arrived from, according to IRS tax returns.
Rent vs buy
Asking rent, the median home, property tax, and months to a down payment.
Monthly costs
Groceries, getting around, utilities, healthcare and childcare at your household size.
Daily life
Homicide and firearm death rates, heat, cars and commute.
Kids
Public-school enrollment, pupil–teacher ratio, bedrooms and childcare.
Getting there
What the move itself costs from where you live now, and how to find a mover you can trust.
Also worth a look
- Midland, TX$3,475/mo
No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,516 and 263 sunny days; commutes average 22 minutes.
- Seattle, WA$3,406/mo
No state income tax and high wages, offset by home prices and 150 sunny days.
- Bismarck, ND$3,347/mo
State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,298 and 196 sunny days; commutes average 18 minutes.
- Austin, TX$3,176/mo
No income tax, but property taxes are among the steepest anywhere.