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METRO AREA · 2010 ACS

Merced Metro

Merced, CA · 1 counties · 255,793 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 $43,844. Population has grown 21% since 2000. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 28%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $241,000. At a median age of 29.6, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 29.6
US median: 37.2
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 72%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
255,793
+21%since 2000
from 210,554 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
132 / sq mi
+21%since 2000
from 109 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 261
Median age
29.6
+2%since 2000
from 29.0 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
167K201K234K268K301K1990201020202024Merced
2024290K
1990201020202024
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$43,844
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,532 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$18,041
+27%since 2000
from $14,257 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
25.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 25.1% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
21.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 21.7% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.460
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade12.2%
US avg: 10.9%
Information11.9%
US avg: 11.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing11.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction11.6%
US avg: 1.4%
Wholesale trade7.9%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance5.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical4.2%
US avg: 4.2%
Other services3.6%
US avg: 7%
Transportation & warehousing3.1%
US avg: 3.1%
Public administration2%
US avg: 4.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BARS: THIS PLACE · TICKS: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$241,000
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $110,900 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$798
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $518 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
40.8%
−17.9 ptssince 2000
from 58.7% in 2000
45.5% rent
Vacancy rate
11.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Owner cost-burdened
41.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 42.2% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
50.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
5.5
+76%since 2000
from 3.1 in 2000
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%
Diversity Score74.2%(156,245)
2010
White, non-Hispanic31.9%(81,599)
Black3.4%(8,785)
Hispanic / Latino54.9%(140,485)
Asian7.1%(18,183)
Other2.3%(5,978)
Diversity Score73.4%(187,805)
Diversity Score
73
−1%since 2000
from 74 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
12.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.0% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
67.0%
+3.2 ptssince 2000
from 63.8% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
4.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.6 min
+37%since 2000
from 18.8 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
75.3%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 73.5% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
13.4%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 14.4% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
0.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
4.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
2.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
7.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
12.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.2% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
22.7%
−31.2 ptssince 2009
from 54.0% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 50.3% in 2009
Female
49.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
Foreign born
24.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 24.7% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
7.3%
−42.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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
Places similar to Merced
Head to head

Compare Merced side by side

MERCED VS
Longview
Income$66,775+52%
Home value$186,821−22%
Population297,315same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCED VS
Waco
Income$66,246+51%
Home value$233,362−3%
Population308,807+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCED VS
Laredo
Income$63,058+44%
Home value$189,900−21%
Population281,224−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MERCED VS
Tuscaloosa
Income$62,466+42%
Home value$229,399−5%
Population281,850−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Merced, CA?

Merced, CA has about 255,793 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Merced, CA?

The typical household in Merced, CA earns about $43,844 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 $241,000, and the typical rent is about $798 a month.

How educated are people in Merced, CA?

About 12.5% 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 21.8% 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 77,390 residents, a change of about 43 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

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