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 | Lancaster | Merced | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,576/mo | $1,197/mo | 31.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $368,800 | $322,600 | 14.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $71,367 | $59,233 | 20.5% 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 Lancaster, you'd need $75,951 in Merced to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Merced, CA is about 24% cheaper overall than Lancaster, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 24% lower in Merced than in Lancaster. If you earn $80,000 in Lancaster, you'd need about $60,761 in Merced to keep the same standard of living.