County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Merced County
- What is the median household income in Merced County?
- The median household income in Merced County is $65,044 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Merced County?
- The poverty rate in Merced County is 15.2% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Merced County?
- $368,400 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Merced County?
- The median gross rent in Merced County is $1,284 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Merced County residents have a college degree?
- 14.8% of adults in Merced County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
285,597
Median Income
$65,044
Median Home Value
$368,400
Poverty Rate
15.2%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
10.8%
Median Age
31.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$11,372 (+21.2%)
Home Value:
+$115,700 (+45.8%)
Poverty Rate:
-2.0 pp (-11.6%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.0 pp (+7.2%)
Unemployment:
-1.1 pp (-9.2%)
Demographics
Total Population
285,597
Median Age
31.0
Female
49.3%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 62.7%
White (non-Hisp.) 24.3%
Black 2.9%
Asian 7.1%
Two or More 12.3%
Other 39.9%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Indian
2.1%
Filipino
0.9%
Chinese
0.3%
Korean
0.2%
Vietnamese
0.2%
Japanese
0.1%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
59.8%
Puerto Rican
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$65,044
±$2,052
-$31,290 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$87,458
Median Family Income
$73,010
Poverty Rate
15.2%
+6.8 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
20.8%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
20.7%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
18.4%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
6.0%
$10–15k
3.9%
$15–25k
8.3%
$25–35k
8.4%
$35–50k
11.7%
$50–75k
18.5%
$75–100k
13.8%
$100–150k
15.6%
$150–200k
7.0%
$200k+
6.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
89,610
Owner-Occupied
53.3%
Renter-Occupied
46.7%
Vacancy Rate
5.6%
Median Home Value
$368,400
-$327,000 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,284
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
30.4%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
41.1%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
4.0%
$50–100k
2.2%
$100–200k
1.5%
$200–300k
19.6%
$300–500k
49.7%
$500k–$1M
16.6%
$1M+
3.3%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
4.8%
$500–1k
23.2%
$1–1.5k
37.6%
$1.5–2k
23.0%
$2–2.5k
8.4%
$2.5–3.5k
2.2%
$3.5k+
0.8%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
7.2%
1 vehicle
27.5%
2 vehicles
35.6%
3+
29.8%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
74.1%
Single-fam. att.
1.6%
2–4 units
3.0%
5–19 units
4.4%
20+ units
3.0%
Mobile home
6.7%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
4.4%
1940–1969
5.4%
1970–1999
17.0%
2000–2009
19.9%
2010+
6.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
71.9%
Bachelor's or Higher
14.8%
-21.7 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
4.4%
Some College / Associate
20.9%
Less Than High School
17.2%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
58.9%
Unemployment Rate
10.8%
+4.4 pp vs. state
Work from Home
6.4%
Self-Employed
5.9%
Government Workers
16.5%
Private For-Profit
77.4%
Industry
Edu/Health
21.8%
Retail
10.7%
Manufacturing
10.5%
Agriculture
10.5%
Construction
8.5%
Arts/Entmt.
7.9%
Transportation
7.4%
Prof. Services
6.8%
Public Admin
4.2%
Wholesale
3.4%
Finance
3.0%
Information
0.8%
Occupation
Management
25.5%
Production
19.6%
Construction
18.8%
Sales
18.1%
Food Prep
18.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
31.0 min
Drove Alone
76.8%
Carpool
10.1%
Public Transit
0.4%
Work from Home
6.4%
Walked
2.4%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
84,605
Avg. Household Size
3.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
47.0%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
21.1%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
7.2%
5–9
8.1%
10–14
8.7%
15–19
8.8%
20–24
7.3%
25–34
14.6%
35–44
12.8%
45–54
11.0%
55–64
5.3%
65–74
4.7%
75–84
7.0%
85+
3.3%
Under 18: 29.1%
Working age (18–64): 70.9%
65 and over: 11.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
26.1%
Naturalized Citizen
42.1%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
21.0%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
77.0%
Asia
15.6%
Europe
6.0%
Africa
0.6%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
4.0%
With a Disability
12.8%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
91.0%
Uninsured
9.0%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
88.1%
Has a Computer
91.7%
Same House 1 Year Ago
89.1%
Moved from Abroad
0.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Merced County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Merced County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus County | 972 | 2,030 |
| Santa Clara County | 674 | 1,427 |
| Other flows - West | 299 | 534 |
| Other flows - South | 255 | 473 |
| Fresno County | 228 | 453 |
| San Joaquin County | 215 | 403 |
| Alameda County | 178 | 329 |
| Madera County | 172 | 340 |
| Monterey County | 171 | 388 |
| Los Angeles County | 169 | 267 |