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 | Stockton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,197/mo | $1,417/mo | 15.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $322,600 | $382,000 | 15.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $59,233 | $71,612 | 17.3% lower 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 Merced, you'd need $118,379 in Stockton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Merced, CA is about 15.5% cheaper overall than Stockton, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in Merced than in Stockton. If you earn $80,000 in Merced, you'd need about $94,703 in Stockton to keep the same standard of living.