Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

171,270

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

21.4%

4.63% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$64,082

2.77% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$374,400

6.85% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

63,385

2.45% 1-year growth

About

49.3% of the households in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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.

87% of the residents in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was $374,400, and the homeownership rate was 51.6%.

Most people in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was 2 cars per household.

Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA borders Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono & Tuolumne Counties PUMA, CA, Merced County (West & South)--Los Banos & Livingston Cities PUMA, CA, and Stanislaus County (Northeast)--Turlock, Riverbank, Oakdale & Waterford Cities PUMA, CA.

United States California

Population & Diversity

Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA is home to a population of 171k people, from which 87% are citizens. As of 2024, 23.2% of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA residents were born outside of the country (39.7k people).

In 2024, there were 1.68 times more Other (Hispanic) residents (65.8k people) in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 39.2k White (Non-Hispanic) and 19.5k 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA are Spanish (64,771 households), Hmong (3,873 households), and Punjabi (2,360 households).

Population & Diversity

Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY

82,628

Women

49.1%

85,562

Men

50.9%

The resident population of United States in 2023 was 168,190 inhabitants, with 50.9% men, and 49.1% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA.

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

Citizenship

87%

2024 Citizenship

87%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 87% of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was 87%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA

Other (Hispanic)
65.8k ± 2.92k
White (Non-Hispanic)
39.2k ± 1.54k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
19.5k ± 2.32k

60.5%

Hispanic Population

104k people

60.5% of the people in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA are hispanic (104k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
27,069 ± 3,700 people
Laos
1,776 ± 1,029 people
India
1,539 ± 959 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was Mexico, the natal country of 27,069 Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA residents, followed by Laos with 1,776 and India with 1,539.

Foreign-Born Population

23.2%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

39.7k people

23.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

39.3k people

As of 2024, 23.2% of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA residents (39.7k 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was 23.4%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
64,771 households (40.8%)
Hmong
3,873 households (2.44%)
Punjabi
2,360 households (1.49%)

49.3% of the households in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was Spanish. 40.8% of the households in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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
1,815 ± 275
Gulf War (2001-)
1,455 ± 329
Gulf War (1990s)
754 ± 191

Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.25 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA.

Economy

The economy of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA employs 63.4k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA were Elementary & secondary schools (4,832 people), Construction (4,554 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (4,482 people), and the highest paying industries were Electric power generation, transmission & distribution ($216,806), Legal services ($154,427), and Offices of dentists ($137,741).

Males in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA have an average income that is 1.21 times higher than the average income of females, which is $54,182. The income inequality in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.445, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

27,417

Women

43.3%

35,968

Men

56.7%

The workforce of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA in 2023 was 63,385 people, with 43.3% woman, and 56.7% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA.

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

Occupations

63.4k

2023 Value

2.45%

1 Year growth

± 2.45%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA grew at a rate of 2.45%, from 61.9k employees to 63.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA, are Miscellaneous agricultural workers, including animal breeders (4,329 people), Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (2,677 people), and Cashiers (1,572 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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

63.4k

2023 Value

2.45%

1 Year growth

± 2.45%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA grew at a rate of 2.45%, from 61.9k employees to 63.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA, are Elementary & secondary schools (4,832 people), Construction (4,554 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (4,482 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA, though some of these residents may live in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,448

Median earning men ± $2,794

$34,033

Median earning women ± $1,731

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($78,750), Public Administration ($70,875), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,580).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($50,278), Public Administration ($47,597), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($42,533).

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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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

In 2023, universities in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA awarded 5,240 degrees. The student population of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, 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 in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, 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

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

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was General Biological Sciences with 308 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, 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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2023, 2.95% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.73% 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (34.4k), Some college (30.2k), and Primary Education (27.7k).

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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was $374,400 in 2024, which is 1.13 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $350,400 to $374,400, a 6.85% increase. The homeownership rate in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA is 51.6%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA have an average commute time of 27.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$374,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,731

$26,301

Median Property Taxes

±$1,212

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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

51.6%

Homeownership

2024

66.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 51.6% of the housing units in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 51.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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.

$64,082

Median Household Income

± $2,577

51k

Number of Households

± 1,864

In 2024, the median household income of the 51k households in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA grew to $64,082 from the previous year's value of $62,353.

The following chart displays the households in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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

0.445

2023 Wage GINI in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA

0.443

2022 Wage GINI in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA

In 2023, the income inequality in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was 0.445 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.571% growth from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (75.1%)
Carpooled (9.94%)
Worked At Home (7.08%)

In 2024, 75.1% of workers in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.94%) and those who worked at home (7.08%).

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

27.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA have a longer commute time (27.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.92% of the workforce in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA (35.9k out of 168k 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 (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater 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

91.4% of the population of Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA has health coverage, with 35.1% on employee plans, 38.9% on Medicaid, 5.95% on Medicare, 10.6% on non-group plans, and 0.874% 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, 50.3% were men and 49.7% 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 31% under 18 years, 25.2% between 18 and 34 years, 32.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.3% were men and 49.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.61%

Uninsured

35.1%

Employer Coverage

38.9%

Medicaid

5.95%

Medicare

10.6%

Non-Group

0.874%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Merced County (Northeast)--Merced & Atwater Cities PUMA, CA declined by 2.99% from 8.87% to 8.61%.

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