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 | Carson | Merced | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,815/mo | $1,197/mo | 51.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $616,000 | $322,600 | 90.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $103,045 | $59,233 | 74.0% 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 Carson, you'd need $65,949 in Merced to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Merced, CA is about 34.1% cheaper overall than Carson, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% lower in Merced than in Carson. If you earn $80,000 in Carson, you'd need about $52,760 in Merced to keep the same standard of living.