Madera vs Merced
Madera, 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.
Madera and Merced score about the same overall (40 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Madera | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $62k | $59k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $53k |
| Home Value | $297k | $323k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.66% | 0.70% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 19.41% | 20.05% |
| Unemployment | 12.8% | 12.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 48°F | 46°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 10.8 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 | 66 days | 58 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 82.1 | 59.0 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 60.9 | 63.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1350/100k | 2036/100k |
| Property Crime | 1620/100k | 2777/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 66,784 | 87,686 |
| Median Age | 29.2 | 29.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.67 | 0.70 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | R+12 | D+11 |
| White (%) | 12.1% | 23.1% |
| Black (%) | 3.1% | 4.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 81.0% | 59.1% |
| Asian (%) | 1.8% | 10.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.1% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 11.6/20 | 15.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 105 mi | 80 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.1% | 91.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 7.19 | 16.65 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Madera or Merced more affordable?
- Merced has the lower cost of living: its index is $53k, compared with Madera's $54k and Merced's $53k. Median rent is $1k in Madera versus $1k in Merced.
- Is Madera or Merced safer?
- Madera has the lower violent crime rate. Madera reports 1350/100k and Merced reports 2036/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Madera or Merced?
- The median home value is $297k in Madera and $323k in Merced, so homes are more affordable in Madera.