Minneapolis, MN vs Merced, CA
Moving from Minneapolis to Merced? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($393,774 → $419,171 median home) and taxes.
Minneapolis vs Merced at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Minneapolis, MN, you'd need about $95,509 in Merced, CA (−$4,491).
Livability — Minneapolis, MN: 54 · Merced, CA: 57 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,285 sqft in Minneapolis vs 1,790 sqft in Merced ($219 vs $279 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Minneapolis, MN | Merced, CA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $20,652 | $23,700 | +$3,048 |
| Groceries | $5,227 | $5,247 | +$20 |
| Transportation | $3,375 | $5,125 | +$1,750 |
| Utilities | $1,776 | $3,804 | +$2,028 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $1,500 | −$700 |
| Taxes | $16,345 | $18,715 | +$2,370 |
| Total | $49,575 | $58,091 | +$8,516 |
Side by side
| Metric | Minneapolis, MN | Merced, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 104.3 | 99.6 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.90% | 10.70% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.3% | 5.6% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 47 | 52 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.93 | $5.67 |
| Median home price | $393,774 | $419,171 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.2× | 6.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 2.1% | -1.4% |
| Price per square foot | $219 | $279 |
| Median rent | $1,721 | $1,975 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 12.1% | 13.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.10% | 8.82% |
| Capital gains tax | 9.85% | 13.30% |
| Property tax rate | 1.10% | 0.68% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,800 | $7,200 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $16,000 | $19,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.58% | 0.65% |
| Avg commute (min) | 25 | 31 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $1,500 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $2,400 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $600 | $750 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $950 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 16.4 | 35.3 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.15 | 4.85 |
| Violent crime /100k | 280 | 500 |
| Avg summer high °F | 83 | 84 |
| Avg winter low °F | 4 | 45 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 3 | 5 |