City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Arden-Arcade | Merced | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,385/mo | $1,197/mo | 15.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $466,300 | $322,600 | 44.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $64,479 | $59,233 | 8.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 125.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arden-Arcade, you'd need $86,423 in Merced to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Merced, CA is about 13.6% cheaper overall than Arden-Arcade, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Merced than in Arden-Arcade. If you earn $80,000 in Arden-Arcade, you'd need about $69,139 in Merced to keep the same standard of living.