Los Banos vs Merced
Los Banos, 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.
Los Banos and Merced score about the same overall (42 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Los Banos | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $76k | $59k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $53k |
| Home Value | $390k | $323k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.70% | 0.70% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 19.82% | 20.05% |
| Unemployment | 7.9% | 12.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 46°F | 46°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 9.5 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 | 49 days | 58 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 65.2 | 59.0 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 58.9 | 63.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1080/100k | 2036/100k |
| Property Crime | 2367/100k | 2777/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 45,560 | 87,686 |
| Median Age | 29.2 | 29.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.64 | 0.70 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.04 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+11 | D+11 |
| White (%) | 20.1% | 23.1% |
| Black (%) | 2.1% | 4.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 72.9% | 59.1% |
| Asian (%) | 2.1% | 10.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.8% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 50 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 13.6/20 | 15.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 63 mi | 80 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.3% | 91.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 16.02 | 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 Los Banos or Merced more affordable?
- Merced has the lower cost of living: its index is $53k, compared with Los Banos's $53k and Merced's $53k. Median rent is $1k in Los Banos versus $1k in Merced.
- Is Los Banos or Merced safer?
- Los Banos has the lower violent crime rate. Los Banos reports 1080/100k and Merced reports 2036/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Los Banos or Merced?
- The median home value is $390k in Los Banos and $323k in Merced, so homes are more affordable in Merced.