Merced, California
Among the top 8% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 7% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A, better than 92% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 11% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 74% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 53% of US places
- top 1% for walkability
- top 6% for annual snowfall
- bottom 3% for income tax
Merced is a mid-size city in California with about 88,000 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 websitecityofmerced.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
hot
sweltering
hot
warm
comf.
cool
93%53%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.2 in0.0 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$59k45th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$53kbetter than 25% of US places
Home Value$323k80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 27% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 26% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.70%better than 72% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden20.05%better than 7% of US places
Unemployment12.6%better than 9% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)46°F83rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)79°F66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation11.8 in4th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days275 daysbetter than 87% of US places
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 86% of US places
Comfortable Days58 daysbetter than 12% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk59.0better than 59% of US places
Air Quality51 AQIbetter than 19% of US places
School Quality63.4better than 58% of US places
Violent Crime2036/100kbetter than 8% of US places
Property Crime2777/100kbetter than 9% of US places
Community
Population87,68699th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age29.99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.7099th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9851st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+1120th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)23.1%8th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)4.1%74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)59.1%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)10.0%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.7%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time27 minbetter than 43% of US places
Walkability15.1/20better than 99% of US places
Airport Distance80 mibetter than 48% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access91.8%better than 71% of US places
Amenities Nearby16.65better than 19% of US places
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 68% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Merced an affordable place to live?
- Merced is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $53k, better than 25% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Merced?
- The median home value in Merced is $323k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Merced?
- Median household income in Merced is $59k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Merced?
- Median gross rent in Merced is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Merced safe?
- Merced is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 2036/100k (better than 8%). Property crime is 2777/100k.
- What is the weather like in Merced?
- Merced averages 79°F in July and 46°F in January, with 11.8 in of annual precipitation and about 275 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Merced?
- Public-school quality in Merced is about average, scoring better than 58% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Merced?
- The average one-way commute in Merced is 27 min.
Other places in Merced County
Places near Merced
Compare Merced
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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)