Merced County, California
Among the top 3% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 2% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 97% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 10% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B, better than 65% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 64% of US counties
- top 4% for walkability
- top 8% for annual snowfall
- bottom 1% for income tax
Merced County is a county in California with about 282,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, annual snowfall, and sunny days. It rates lower on estimated total tax burden and income tax.
Official websitecountyofmerced.com (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
hot
sweltering
hot
warm
comf.
cool
91%53%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.1 in0.0 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$65k62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$53kbetter than 15% of US counties
Home Value$342k91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 12% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 13% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.68%better than 66% of US counties
Income Tax13.30%better than 1% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden19.81%better than 3% of US counties
Unemployment10.7%better than 4% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)47°F82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)78°F55th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation11.4 in3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 92% of US counties
Sunny Days274 daysbetter than 88% of US counties
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 88% of US counties
Comfortable Days57 daysbetter than 15% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk96.9better than 3% of US counties
Air Quality51 AQIbetter than 13% of US counties
School Quality70.8better than 75% of US counties
Violent Crime1606/100kbetter than 13% of US counties
Property Crime2233/100kbetter than 10% of US counties
Community
Population282,29092nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age31.53rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6798th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0372nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+1112th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)25.2%5th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.7%56th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)61.9%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)7.2%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.0%40th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time31 minbetter than 15% of US counties
Walkability11.0/20better than 96% of US counties
Airport Distance72 mibetter than 66% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access89.2%better than 84% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 80% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Merced County an affordable place to live?
- Merced County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $53k, better than 15% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Merced County?
- The median home value in Merced County is $342k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Merced County?
- Median household income in Merced County is $65k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Merced County?
- Median gross rent in Merced County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Merced County safe?
- Merced County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1606/100k (better than 13%). Property crime is 2233/100k.
- What is the weather like in Merced County?
- Merced County averages 78°F in July and 47°F in January, with 11.4 in of annual precipitation and about 274 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Merced County?
- Public-school quality in Merced County is above average, scoring better than 75% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Merced County?
- The average one-way commute in Merced County is 31 min.
Other counties in California
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)