Overall
- Merced
- 98.3
- Pittsfield
- 95.1
Diff -3.2 RPP
Merced vs Pittsfield
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Pittsfield is 3.2% less expensive than Merced.
3.2% less expensive
Pittsfield, MA is 3.2% less expensive than Merced, CA on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 95.1 vs 98.3). A $100,000 salary in Merced buys about the same as $96,775 in Pittsfield; the largest component gap is goods.
- Overall RPP 98.3 (Merced) vs 95.1 (Pittsfield)
- $100k in Merced ≈ $96,775 purchasing power in Pittsfield
- Goods drives the gap (-8.2 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair CA:MA 98.3→95.1
TIER-NEAR · CROSS-STATE · GOODS-LED · BOTH-BELOW · PP-SHIFT
- TIER-NEAR Near tier
- CROSS-STATE CA × MA
- GOODS-LED Goods-led gap
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-SHIFT PP shift
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
How the Price Gap Changed
Merced and Pittsfield share 17 published annual releases from 2008 through 2024. Their overall gap narrowed, moving from 5.4 to 3.2 RPP points. Merced remained the higher-index metro in the latest release.
Services changed the most within this pair: its gap moved 41.6 points between the first and latest shared releases (37.0 to 4.6 points). This describes a relative price-index history, not a forecast or a household budget.
| Release Year | Merced RPP | Pittsfield RPP | Relative Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 94.3 | 99.6 | 5.4 points Pittsfield higher |
| 2012 | 98.6 | 97.8 | 0.8 points Merced higher |
| 2016 | 95.3 | 100.5 | 5.2 points Pittsfield higher |
| 2020 | 98.7 | 99.5 | 0.7 points Pittsfield higher |
| 2024 | 98.3 | 95.1 | 3.2 points Merced higher |
Annual BEA Regional Price Parity releases; a higher index means a higher price level relative to the national average of 100. Selected years shown from the full shared series.
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
Pittsfield, MA is 3.2% less expensive than Merced, CA, a meaningful but not extreme shift. The move decision turns on which budget category creates the 3.2-point overall gap.
Goods leads the difference, with Pittsfield 8.2 points lower than Merced. Goods, services, and rents all point in the same broad direction, making the headline comparison more transferable across household types.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
For a goods-led difference, remember that many tradable prices vary less by address than housing or labor-priced services. Use $96,775 in Pittsfield as the BEA equivalent of $100,000 in Merced, then replace the national basket with your own.
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Merced would need to be in Pittsfield for the same purchasing power:
| In Merced | In Pittsfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,388 | $-1,612 |
| $75,000 | $72,582 | $-2,418 |
| $100,000 | $96,775 | $-3,225 |
| $150,000 | $145,163 | $-4,837 |
$ in Merced = in Pittsfield
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (98.3 → 95.1), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Merced
- 105.2
- Pittsfield
- 97.0
Diff -8.2 RPP
Services
- Merced
- 158.3
- Pittsfield
- 153.7
Diff -4.6 RPP
Rents
- Merced
- 78.6
- Pittsfield
- 73.5
Diff -5.2 RPP
| Category | Merced | Pittsfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 98.3 | 95.1 | -3.2 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 97.0 | -8.2 |
| Services | 158.3 | 153.7 | -4.6 |
| Rents | 78.6 | 73.5 | -5.2 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Merced 98.3
Pittsfield 95.1
Goods
Merced 105.2
Pittsfield 97.0
Services
Merced 158.3
Pittsfield 153.7
Rents
Merced 78.6
Pittsfield 73.5
Vertical line = national average (100)
Merced
98.3
Cost Index
Pittsfield
95.1
Cost Index
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pittsfield more expensive than Merced?
Pittsfield is 3.2% less expensive than Merced. The overall cost index is 95.1 vs 98.3 (national average = 100).
What salary in Pittsfield equals $100K in Merced?
A $100,000 salary in Merced has the same purchasing power as $96,775 in Pittsfield. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Merced and Pittsfield?
Rents in Merced are indexed at 78.6 while Pittsfield is at 73.5 (national average = 100). Merced has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.