Atwater vs Merced
Atwater, California versus Merced, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Atwater and Merced score about the same overall (43 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Atwater | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $64k | $59k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $53k |
| Home Value | $315k | $323k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.71% | 0.70% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 19.71% | 20.05% |
| Unemployment | 11.0% | 12.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 46°F | 46°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 78°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.5 in | 11.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 275 days | 275 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 59 days | 58 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 56.9 | 59.0 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 63.4 | 63.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1959/100k | 2036/100k |
| Property Crime | 2516/100k | 2777/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 31,841 | 87,686 |
| Median Age | 33.5 | 29.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.66 | 0.70 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+11 | D+11 |
| White (%) | 30.2% | 23.1% |
| Black (%) | 4.5% | 4.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 56.6% | 59.1% |
| Asian (%) | 5.0% | 10.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 12.6/20 | 15.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 73 mi | 80 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.1% | 91.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 18.84 | 16.65 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Atwater or Merced more affordable?
- Merced has the lower cost of living: its index is $53k, compared with Atwater's $53k and Merced's $53k. Median rent is $1k in Atwater versus $1k in Merced.
- Is Atwater or Merced safer?
- Atwater has the lower violent crime rate. Atwater reports 1959/100k and Merced reports 2036/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Atwater or Merced?
- The median home value is $315k in Atwater and $323k in Merced, so homes are more affordable in Atwater.