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METRO AREA

Merced Metro

Merced, CA · 1 counties · 297,260 residents (2025 est.) · 1,938.004 sq mi
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#16Most foreign-born residentsof 92525.6%#38Youngest by median ageof 92531.8
The short version

Merced has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $65,510. Population has grown 38% since 2000. 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $391,800. At a median age of 31.8, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

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

Total population
290,201
+38%since 2000
from 210,554 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
150 / sq mi
+38%since 2000
from 109 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
31.8
+10%since 2000
from 29.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:297,260 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
167K201K234K268K301K1990201020202024Merced
2024290K
1990201020202024
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$65,510
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,532 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$28,030
+97%since 2000
from $14,257 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
43.5%
+18.4 ptssince 2009
from 25.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
19.1%
−2.6 ptssince 2000
from 21.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.465
+1%since 2010
from 0.460 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing10.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction10.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Retail trade9.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade8.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance7.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing3.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Other services2.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration1.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services1%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BARS: THIS PLACE · TICKS: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$391,800
+94%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $110,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,343
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $518 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
54.0%
−4.7 ptssince 2000
from 58.7% in 2000
46.0% rent
Vacancy rate
5.3%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
31.6%
−10.6 ptssince 2009
from 42.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.9%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.0
+92%since 2000
from 3.1 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Gentrification Score
29
RELATED:See current rent listings in Merced on RentDataNow
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%
Diversity Score74.2%(156,245)
Segregation Score0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic23.2%(67,325)
Black2.6%(7,455)
Hispanic / Latino63.4%(183,933)
Asian7.1%(20,536)
Other3.8%(10,952)
Diversity Score67.2%(194,931)
Segregation Score29.6%(85,936)
Diversity Score
67
−9%since 2000
from 74 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Segregation Score
30
Unchangedsince 2020
from 30 in 2020
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
15.3%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 11.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
72.3%
+8.5 ptssince 2000
from 63.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
4.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
31.3 min
+67%since 2000
from 18.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
76.0%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 73.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.5%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
6.6%
+2.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.4%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
10.6%
−4.7 ptssince 2011
from 15.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
59.2%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 60.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
16.3%
+3.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
26.6%
−27.4 ptssince 2009
from 54.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Female
49.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Foreign born
25.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 24.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.6%
−46.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.5%
−2.2 ptssince 2012
from 14.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.1%
−72.7 ptssince 2013
from 80.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.4%
+13.2 ptssince 2017
from 75.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
47.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2016
from 47.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
44.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 43.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
In this metro

Principal cities

MercedCENTRAL99,724
What's inside

1 component county

Merced CountyCENTRAL297,260
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Merced

Longview
Pop 297,315
Waco
Pop 308,807
Laredo
Pop 281,224
Tuscaloosa
Pop 281,850
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Head to head

Compare Merced side by side

MERCED VS
Longview
Income$66,775+2%
Home value$186,821−52%
Population297,315same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCED VS
Waco
Income$66,246+1%
Home value$233,362−40%
Population308,807+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCED VS
Laredo
Income$63,058−4%
Home value$189,900−52%
Population281,224−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCED VS
Tuscaloosa
Income$62,466−5%
Home value$229,399−41%
Population281,850−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
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

How we source and harmonize this data →