METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS
Merced Metro
Merced, CA · 1 counties · 178,403 residents · 1,938.004 sq mi
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The short version
Merced has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $25,548. Population has fallen 15% since 2000, a loss of 32,151 residents. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 20%. Median home value is $90,100. At a median age of 28.1, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 28.1
US median: 33.0
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024290K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 510.1%(17,990)
5 to 910.5%(18,798)
10 to 148.6%(15,424)
15 to 197.8%(13,990)
20 to 247.5%(13,382)
25 to 3417.5%(31,257)
35 to 4413.3%(23,768)
45 to 548.3%(14,816)
55 to 647.1%(12,641)
65 to 745.7%(10,164)
75 to 842.8%(4,946)
85 and over0.7%(1,227)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$25,548
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $35,532 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$90,100
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $110,900 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic67.5%(120,456)
Black4.9%(8,778)
Hispanic / Latino32%(57,139)
Asian8.3%(14,832)
Other19.2%(34,337)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
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
63.1%
−0.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 63.8% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community
No data for the years selected.
Marital status (2024)
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
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 178,403 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Merced, CA?
The typical household in Merced, CA earns about $25,548 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 $90,100, and the typical rent is about $430 a month.
How educated are people in Merced, CA?
About 12.0% 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 19.9% of people in Merced, CA live below the federal poverty line.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024