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 | Merced | Norfolk | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,197/mo | $1,188/mo | 0.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $322,600 | $254,200 | 26.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $59,233 | $60,998 | 2.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 101.9 | 99.9 | 2.0% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 121.6 | 97.1 | 25.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 100.1 | 84.4 | 18.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.0 | 99.0 | 1.0% lower 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 Merced, you'd need $93,822 in Norfolk to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Norfolk, VA is about 6.2% cheaper overall than Merced, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Merced, you'd need about $75,058 in Norfolk to keep the same standard of living.