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 | Dallas | Merced | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,305/mo | $1,197/mo | 9.0% higher in A |
| Median home value | $270,700 | $322,600 | 16.1% lower in A |
| Median household income | $63,985 | $59,233 | 8.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 90.5 | 101.9 | 11.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 74.6 | 121.6 | 38.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 87.0 | 100.1 | 13.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.8 | 98.0 | 1.9% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Dallas, you'd need $105,502 in Merced to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dallas, TX is about 5.2% cheaper overall than Merced, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% lower in Merced than in Dallas. If you earn $80,000 in Dallas, you'd need about $84,402 in Merced to keep the same standard of living.