Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

118,931

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

0.304% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

15.8%

1.76% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$67,169

1.38% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$421,200

5.19% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

42,846

1.24% 1-year decline

About

57.4% of the households in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, 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.

82.5% of the residents in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA was $421,200, and the homeownership rate was 57.5%.

Most people in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 37 minutes. The average car ownership in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA was 2 cars per household.

Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA borders Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono & Tuolumne Counties PUMA, CA, Fresno County (West)--Selma, Kerman & Coalinga Cities PUMA, CA, Madera County--Madera City PUMA, CA, Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA, Monterey (South & East) & San Benito Counties PUMA, CA, Santa Clara County (East)--Gilroy, Morgan Hill & San Jose (South) Cities PUMA, CA, Stanislaus County (Southwest)--Ceres, Patterson & Newman Cities PUMA, CA, and Stanislaus County (Northeast)--Turlock, Riverbank, Oakdale & Waterford Cities PUMA, CA.

United States California

Population & Diversity

Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA is home to a population of 119k people, from which 82.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 30.5% of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA residents were born outside of the country (36.3k people).

In 2024, there were 1.87 times more Other (Hispanic) residents (52.7k people) in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 28.1k White (Non-Hispanic) and 12.7k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA are Spanish (54,525 households), Portuguese (4,103 households), and Punjabi (2,758 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

58,341

Women

49.6%

59,389

Men

50.4%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 117,730 inhabitants, with 50.4% men, and 49.6% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA.

With the upper buttons you can add a filter by race.

Citizenship

82.5%

2024 Citizenship

81.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 82.5% of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, 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 (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA was 81.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA

Other (Hispanic)
52.7k ± 2.78k
White (Non-Hispanic)
28.1k ± 1.57k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
12.7k ± 1.69k

67.6%

Hispanic Population

80.4k people

67.6% of the people in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA are hispanic (80.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
26,888 ± 3,536 people
India
2,505 ± 1,216 people
Azores Islands
1,552 ± 961 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA was Mexico, the natal country of 26,888 Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA residents, followed by India with 2,505 and Azores Islands with 1,552.

Foreign-Born Population

30.5%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

36.3k people

31.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

36.9k people

As of 2024, 30.5% of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA residents (36.3k 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 (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA was 31.3%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
54,525 households (49.2%)
Portuguese
4,103 households (3.7%)
Punjabi
2,758 households (2.49%)

57.4% of the households in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is higher than the national average of 22.3%. 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.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA was Spanish. 49.2% of the households in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
859 ± 209
Gulf War (2001-)
394 ± 157
Gulf War (1990s)
355 ± 155

Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.18 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA.

Economy

The economy of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA employs 42.8k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA were Construction (4,121 people), Farming (3,136 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (2,966 people), and the highest paying industries were Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities ($140,095), Computer Systems Design ($122,467), and Legal services ($120,512).

Males in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA have an average income that is 1.33 times higher than the average income of females, which is $46,654. The income inequality in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.409, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

17,579

Women

41%

25,267

Men

59%

The workforce of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA in 2023 was 42,846 people, with 41% woman, and 59% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

42.8k

2023 Value

−1.24%

1 Year decline

± −1.24%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA declined at a rate of −1.24%, from 43.4k employees to 42.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA, are Miscellaneous agricultural workers, including animal breeders (3,564 people), Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (2,254 people), and Other managers (1,220 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, 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

42.8k

2023 Value

−1.24%

1 Year decline

± −1.24%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA declined at a rate of −1.24%, from 43.4k employees to 42.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA, are Construction (4,121 people), Farming (3,136 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (2,966 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA, though some of these residents may live in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,802

Median earning men ± $1,381

$30,161

Median earning women ± $1,813

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($81,219), Public Administration ($76,250), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,662).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,347), Public Administration ($50,226), and Construction ($47,768).

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.

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 (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, 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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2023, 4.49% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 4.01% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (26.7k), Primary Education (22.5k), and Secondary Education (19.3k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA was $421,200 in 2024, which is 1.27 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $400,400 to $421,200, a 5.19% increase. The homeownership rate in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA is 57.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA have an average commute time of 37 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$421,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,002

$20,173

Median Property Taxes

±$1,187

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 (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

57.5%

Homeownership

2024

68%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 57.5% of the housing units in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 56.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, 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.

$67,169

Median Household Income

± $3,293

35.1k

Number of Households

± 1,703

In 2024, the median household income of the 35.1k households in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA declined from $67,169 from the previous year's value of $68,109.

The following chart displays the households in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, 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

0.409

2023 Wage GINI in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA

0.411

2022 Wage GINI in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA

In 2023, the income inequality in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA was 0.409 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.341% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (77.4%)
Carpooled (11.4%)
Worked At Home (5.93%)

In 2024, 77.4% of workers in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.4%) and those who worked at home (5.93%).

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

37 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA have a longer commute time (37 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 14.5% of the workforce in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, 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 (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, 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 (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA (18.6k out of 118k 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 Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, 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.

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.

Health

92.6% of the population of Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA has health coverage, with 37.1% on employee plans, 37.2% on Medicaid, 7.03% on Medicare, 10.8% on non-group plans, and 0.386% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,233 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in California

Primary care physicians in California see an average of 1,233 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in California 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, 21.5% between 18 and 34 years, 35.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 12% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.43%

Uninsured

37.1%

Employer Coverage

37.2%

Medicaid

7.03%

Medicare

10.8%

Non-Group

0.386%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA declined by 18% from 9.07% to 7.43%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.