Merced County, CA

County

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2024 Population

290,201

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

19.1%

3.72% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$65,510

0.716% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$391,800

6.35% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

114,903

3.02% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Merced County, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

85.2% of the residents in Merced County, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Merced County, CA are Merced College (2,886 degrees awarded in 2023), University of California-Merced (2,100 degrees), and Milan Institute-Merced (171 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Merced County, CA was $391,800, and the homeownership rate was 54%.

Most people in Merced County, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Merced County, CA was 2 cars per household.

Merced County, CA borders Fresno County, CA, Madera County, CA, Mariposa County, CA, San Benito County, CA, Santa Clara County, CA, and Stanislaus County, CA.

About the photo: Merced Wildlife Refuge

Photo by Linda Tanner

United States California Merced, CA

Population & Diversity

Merced County, CA is home to a population of 290k people, from which 85.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 26.2% of Merced County, CA residents were born outside of the country (76k people).

In 2024, there were 1.76 times more Other (Hispanic) residents (118k people) in Merced County, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 67.3k White (Non-Hispanic) and 32.2k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

85.2%

2024 Citizenship

84.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 85.2% of Merced County, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Merced County, CA was 84.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Merced County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Merced County, CA

Other (Hispanic)
118k ± 3.6k
White (Non-Hispanic)
67.3k ± 878
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
32.2k ± 3.06k

63.4%

Hispanic Population

184k people

63.4% of the people in Merced County, CA are hispanic (184k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Merced County, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,862,617 ± 45,816 people
Philippines
824,246 ± 22,054 people
China
687,951 ± 20,184 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,862,617 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,246 and China with 687,951.

Foreign-Born Population

26.2%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

76k people

26.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

76.2k people

As of 2024, 26.2% of Merced County, CA residents (76k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Merced County, CA was 26.7%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Merced County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,674 ± 319
Gulf War (2001-)
1,849 ± 361
Gulf War (1990s)
1,109 ± 238

Merced County, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.45 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Merced County, CA.

Economy

The economy of Merced County, CA employs 115k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Merced County, CA were Health Care & Social Assistance (14,540 people), Retail Trade (12,246 people), and Educational Services (11,943 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($105,563), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($72,807), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($62,868).

Employment

Occupations

115k

2024 Value

± 3,020

3.02%

1 Year growth

± 3.62%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Merced County, CA grew at a rate of 3.02%, from 112k employees to 115k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Merced County, CA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (10,817 people), Sales & Related Occupations (9,570 people), and Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (8,857 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Merced County, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

115k

2024 Value

± 3,020

3.02%

1 Year growth

± 3.62%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Merced County, CA grew at a rate of 3.02%, from 112k employees to 115k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Merced County, CA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (14,540 people), Retail Trade (12,246 people), and Educational Services (11,943 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Merced County, CA, though some of these residents may live in Merced County, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,511

Median earning men ± $1,723

$32,172

Median earning women ± $921

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($80,030), Public Administration ($72,757), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($69,583).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($48,812), Construction ($47,857), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,997).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

241
Construction
240
Transportation and Warehousing
200
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$557k
Manufacturing
$448k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$290k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Merced County, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Merced County, CA awarded 5,240 degrees. The student population of Merced County, CA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 9,788 male students and 11,747 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Merced County, CA are Hispanic or Latino (3,169 and 63.2%), White (714 and 14.2%), Asian (622 and 12.4%), and Two or More Races (166 and 3.31%).

The largest universities in Merced County, CA by number of degrees awarded are Merced College (2,886 and 55.1%), University of California-Merced (2,100 and 40.1%), and Milan Institute-Merced (171 and 3.26%).

The most popular majors in Merced County, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (747 and 14.3%), Other Research & Experimental Psychology (377 and 7.19%), and General Psychology (328 and 6.26%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $11,834 for in-state students and $42,611 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Merced County, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 39.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 9.08%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 21,535 (45.5% men and 54.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 21,535 students enrolled in Merced County, CA, 45.5% men and 54.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 13,192 records, of which 58.6% were women and 41.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Research & Experimental Psychology
365 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
308 degrees awarded
General Computer Engineering
217 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Merced County, CA was Other Research & Experimental Psychology with 365 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Merced County, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Merced College
2,886 degrees awarded
University of California-Merced
2,100 degrees awarded
Milan Institute-Merced
171 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Merced College with 2,886 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,169 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Merced County, CA, which is 0.706 times less than the 3,071 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 3,169 degrees mean that there were 4.44 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 714 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($11,834) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,333) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,152) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Merced County, CA was $391,800 in 2024, which is 1.18 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $368,400 to $391,800, a 6.35% increase. The homeownership rate in Merced County, CA is 54%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Merced County, CA have an average commute time of 31.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Merced County, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 23% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Merced County, CA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.85%.

Housing

Property

$391,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,618

$46,474

Median Property Taxes

±$1,717

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Merced County, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Merced County, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

54%

Homeownership

2024

67.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 54% of the housing units in Merced County, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 53.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Merced County, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$65,510

Median Household Income

± $2,304

86.1k

Number of Households

± 2,504

In 2024, the median household income of the 86.1k households in Merced County, CA grew to $65,510 from the previous year's value of $65,044.

The following chart displays the households in Merced County, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Merced County, CA is from California.

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

0.498

2022 Wage GINI in California

In 2023, the income inequality in California was 0.495 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.573% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (76%)
Carpooled (10.5%)
Worked At Home (6.61%)

In 2024, 76% of workers in Merced County, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.5%) and those who worked at home (6.61%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

31.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Merced County, CA have a longer commute time (31.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 9.43% of the workforce in Merced County, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Merced County, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Merced County, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Merced County, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 23% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Merced County, CA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.85%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

19.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Merced County, CA (54.6k out of 286k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Merced County, CA is Hispanic, followed by Other and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 22.7% of the children was living in poverty in Merced County, CA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 12.9%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 555 in Merced County, CA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 35.6 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.9% of the population of Merced County, CA has health coverage, with 35.9% on employee plans, 38.2% on Medicaid, 6.39% on Medicare, 10.7% on non-group plans, and 0.673% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Merced County, CA see 2,387 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,387 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2148 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 398 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.5% were men and 49.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,387 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Merced County, CA

Primary care physicians in Merced County, CA see an average of 2,387 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,387 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Merced County, CA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 30.9% under 18 years, 23.7% between 18 and 34 years, 33.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.5% were men and 49.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.12%

Uninsured

35.9%

Employer Coverage

38.2%

Medicaid

6.39%

Medicare

10.7%

Non-Group

0.673%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Merced County, CA declined by 9.27% from 8.95% to 8.12%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Merced County, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 42 in Merced County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Merced County, CA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 34.5% in Merced County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Merced County, CA.