METRO AREA
Merced Metro
Merced, CA · 1 counties · 297,260 residents (2025 est.) · 1,938 sq mi
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The short version
Merced is home to 290,201 people. 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The median age is 31.8, younger than the US median of 38.9. Growth has run 38% since 2000, or 79,647 more people. The foreign-born share is 26%. 54% of homes are owner-occupied.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
15% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 94%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
290,201
+38%since 2000
from 210,554 in 2000
297,260 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,938 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024290K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57%(20,395)
5 to 97.9%(22,994)
10 to 148.5%(24,799)
15 to 199.1%(26,344)
20 to 247.4%(21,542)
25 to 3414.5%(42,067)
35 to 4413%(37,597)
45 to 5410.9%(31,541)
55 to 6410%(28,921)
65 to 747.1%(20,541)
75 to 843.4%(9,769)
85 and over1.3%(3,691)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$65,510
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,532 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
43.5%
+18.4 ptssince 2009
from 25.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing10.2%
Construction10.1%
Retail trade9.4%
Wholesale trade8.6%
Finance & insurance7.5%
Professional, scientific, technical6.5%
Transportation & warehousing3.3%
Other services2.7%
Public administration1.5%
Education & health services1%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$391,800
+94%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $110,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
6.0
−7%since 2009
from 6.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
29
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic40.6%(85,585)
Black3.6%(7,594)
Hispanic / Latino45.3%(95,466)
Asian6.7%(14,041)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic23.2%(67,325)
Black2.6%(7,455)
Hispanic / Latino63.4%(183,933)
Asian7.1%(20,536)
Other3.8%(10,952)
67
−10%since 2009
from 75 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
30
Unchangedsince 2020
from 30 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican60.5%(175,488)
Central American1.1%(3,249)
Salvadoran0.6%(1,726)
Puerto Rican0.3%(975)
Guatemalan0.3%(820)
Spaniard0.3%(754)
South American0.2%(634)
Peruvian0.1%(316)
Nicaraguan0.1%(275)
Costa Rican0.1%(209)
Honduran0.1%(149)
Colombian0%(114)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Cuban0%(88)
Panamanian0%(62)
Argentine0%(38)
Venezuelan0%(35)
Ecuadorian0%(34)
Bolivian0%(33)
Chilean0%(33)
Uruguayan0%(29)
Paraguayan0%(2)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.5%(7,134)
Hmong1.9%(5,385)
Filipino1%(2,916)
Chinese0.3%(902)
Mien0.2%(723)
Thai0.2%(623)
Vietnamese0.2%(605)
Korean0.2%(498)
Laotian0.2%(455)
Japanese0.1%(326)
Kazakh0.1%(246)
Pakistani0%(101)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.2%(607)
Tongan0.1%(356)
Samoan0.1%(269)
Chamorro0%(111)
Fijian0%(109)
Marshallese0%(13)
Ancestry
Portuguese4.8%(13,987)
German4.3%(12,604)
Irish3.3%(9,662)
English3.3%(9,506)
Italian1.8%(5,305)
American1.7%(4,976)
French0.8%(2,298)
Scottish0.6%(1,839)
Dutch0.5%(1,578)
Norwegian0.4%(1,289)
Swedish0.4%(1,142)
Arab0.3%(991)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.3%(732)
Subsaharan African0.2%(723)
Polish0.2%(583)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(580)
Danish0.2%(566)
Russian0.2%(507)
Swiss0.2%(456)
British0.1%(424)
Iranian0.1%(293)
Canadian0.1%(203)
Greek0.1%(199)
Australian0.1%(184)
Hungarian0%(128)
Brazilian0%(106)
French Canadian0%(98)
Croatian0%(92)
Nigerian0%(85)
Ukrainian0%(78)
Austrian0%(71)
Romanian0%(71)
Iraqi0%(70)
Bulgarian0%(61)
Finnish0%(57)
West Indian0%(53)
Armenian0%(47)
Belgian0%(47)
Czech0%(46)
Lebanese0%(41)
Slovak0%(33)
Ghanaian0%(33)
Turkish0%(32)
Ethiopian0%(30)
Moroccan0%(29)
Slovene0%(26)
Egyptian0%(21)
Guyanese0%(18)
Lithuanian0%(17)
Haitian0%(15)
Serbian0%(13)
Syrian0%(5)
Jamaican0%(5)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
72.3%
+8.5 ptssince 2000
from 63.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
64.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 63.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
91.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 92.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married46%(51,577)
Married45.1%(50,501)
Widowed2.5%(2,838)
Divorced6.4%(7,166)
Women 15+
Never married39.2%(43,044)
Married43.5%(47,872)
Widowed7.9%(8,705)
Divorced9.4%(10,310)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
10.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 9.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
49.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 49.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
50.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 51.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)24.8%(1,849)
Gulf War (1990s)21%(1,564)
Vietnam era39.1%(2,915)
Korean War5.3%(394)
World War II0.4%(33)
Share of the 7,464 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro
Largest cities
MercedCENTRAL99,724Los Banos49,614Atwater32,133Livingston14,690Winton11,797Delhi11,009Franklin CDP (Merced County)7,392Hilmar-Irwin6,132Gustine6,112McSwain5,783Dos Palos5,697Planada3,506Santa Nella2,107Le Grand1,636South Dos Palos1,102University of California-Merced724El Nido510Ballico447Cressey386Bear Creek346Dos Palos Y273Volta268Snelling243Stevinson144Tuttle73
What's inside
1 component county
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Merced, CA?
Merced, CA has about 290,201 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Merced, CA?
The typical household in Merced, CA earns about $65,510 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Merced, CA expensive?
In Merced, CA, the median home is worth about $391,800, and the typical rent is about $1,343 a month.
How educated are people in Merced, CA?
About 15.3% of adults age 25 and over in Merced, CA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Merced, CA?
About 19.1% of people in Merced, CA live below the federal poverty line.
Has Merced, CA grown since 1990?
Yes, Merced, CA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 111,798 residents, a change of about 63 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024