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Living in Merced

There were 318 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. For Merced, owner occupation was 45.9%, and the vacancy rate was 6.08% in July 2026. Its population was 91,953 in July 2026.

Last checked 2026-09-1930 sources

Population99,724people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Median gross salary2,613EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Median rent1,224EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Unemployment rate11.34%31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Recorded crime3,577offences per 100,000country median 1,586 — 126% aboveOfficial source · FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting
PM2.5, annual mean7.79µg/m³country median 7.0 — 11% aboveOfficial source · EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024

More recorded crime than 89% of American cities that publish it and dirtier air than 71% of American cities that publish it.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Merced?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$1,393 per month, while the median home value was US$372,600 in July 2026. 55.1% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month
Merced recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1572
Utilities, 85 m² flat€238
Internet, 60 Mbps€65
Fitness club€29
Mobile plan, 10 GB€26

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly29.02 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Merced (Wayback Machine capture 20260209180136)30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited65.33 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Merced (Wayback Machine capture 20260209180136)30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly1,572 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Merced (Wayback Machine capture 20260209180136)30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB26.12 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Merced (Wayback Machine capture 20260209180136)30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home238.1 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Merced (Wayback Machine capture 20260209180136)30Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross rent$1,393/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent55.14 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official
Housing vacancy rate (legacy series)6.08 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents2,793 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)1,319 EUR/month31 Dec 2020ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)3Official
Median monthly rent1,224 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Recorded property crimes2,377 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official

Is Merced a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker46%strong on work, weak on safety · range 38–54%
Skilled employee53%strong on work, weak on safety · range 44–62%
Student44%strong on education, weak on work · range 34–54%
Family38%strong on family, weak on cost · range 29–47%
Retirement41%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 31–51%

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

20.4% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 20,308 of 99,724 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Median household income was US$63,122 a year in July 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Merced is 11.3%. Of 2,153 cities with data, 1,250 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median household income63,122 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Households with cable, fibre or DSL broadband81.19 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Households with a broadband subscription94.15 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Households with internet but no subscription1.63 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Households without internet4.11 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Households with satellite internet6.07 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Median gross salary2,613 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)24Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,489 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov23Official
Unemployment rate11.34 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

What does a salary buy in Merced?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €3,489 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025-12-31).
Left over each month€1,095of €2,744 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,744
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31− €1,319
Public transport passnot published for this city—
Utilities, 85 m²€238 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Merced (Wayback Machine capture 20260209180136) · 2026-07-31− €238
Internet€65 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Merced (Wayback Machine capture 20260209180136) · 2026-07-31− €65
Mobile plan€26 · market price · Numbeo - Cost of Living in Merced (Wayback Machine capture 20260209180136) · 2026-07-31− €26
Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish€1,095
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Merced Salary needed to live in Merced

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Merced. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Merced. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with high school education or higher76.9 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official
Schools33 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count16Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · school district
School enrolment, share of residents33.23 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Mental health provider ratio5 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official
Primary care doctors per 100,000 residents318 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official
Preventable hospitalizations3,577 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio15Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Merced when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesMerced highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Merced highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Philadelphia5,457
Houston5,442
San Antonio5,218
Chicago4,012
Dallas4,010
Austin3,709
Merced3,577
Fort Worth3,158
Phoenix3,125
New York City3,039
Los Angeles2,212
San Diego2,082
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents3,577 offences per 100,000country median 1,58631 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting14Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents644 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official
Recorded violent crimes686 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average commute time28.65 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Workers commuting by bicycle0.4 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Workers commuting by public transport0.82 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Workers walking to work1.41 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Destinations from nearest airport1 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights19Official
Nearest airportMCE3 Aug 2026OurAirports20Official
Distance to nearest airport3 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports20Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Merced. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridCost varies

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, OnlineCost varies
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Merced.

Find courses near Merced

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Merced is 7.8 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 261 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean7.79 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202411Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 12.28 · Feb 15.89 · Mar 19.17 · Apr 22.78 · May 27.72 · Jun 31.83 · Jul 34.89 · Aug 34.33 · Sep 31.83 · Oct 25.89 · Nov 18.06 · Dec 12.61 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information18Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 2.72 · Feb 4 · Mar 5.78 · Apr 7.5 · May 10.94 · Jun 14 · Jul 16.56 · Aug 15.61 · Sep 13.39 · Oct 9.28 · Nov 4.89 · Dec 2.33 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information18Official
Average temperature by monthJan 7.5 · Feb 9.94 · Mar 12.44 · Apr 15.11 · May 19.33 · Jun 22.89 · Jul 25.72 · Aug 25 · Sep 22.61 · Oct 17.56 · Nov 11.44 · Dec 7.5 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information18Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 67.82 · Feb 56.9 · Mar 48.01 · Apr 25.65 · May 14.99 · Jun 3.3 · Jul 0.254 · Aug 0.254 · Sep 1.78 · Oct 18.54 · Nov 29.97 · Dec 50.29 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information18Official
PM2.5, highest monitored reading38.5 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean10Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
PM2.5, annual mean9.01 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean10Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
PM2.5 monitoring sites2 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean10Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
Annual precipitation460.4 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Maximum July temperature27.16 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature16.82 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Minimum January temperature8.83 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals17Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Similar climate. In United States: Little Rock ±2.3 °C. Elsewhere: Granada (Spain) ±1.2 °C, Alcobendas (Spain) ±1.7 °C, Rivas-Vaciamadrid (Spain) ±1.7 °C, Fuenlabrada (Spain) ±2.1 °C, Leganés (Spain) ±2.1 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 20,308 is not 12.4% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share12.37 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)8Official
Foreign residents20,308 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables25Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Transit service area population136,957 people4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Population density1,656 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau9Official
Population99,724 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program22Official
Population covered by crime statistics98,482 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)13Official

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median home value372,600 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official
Owner-occupied homes45.9 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official
Labour force participation rate61.33 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Residents born abroad22.09 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Naturalized citizens, share of residents9.72 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Non-citizens, share of residents12.37 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Flu vaccination coverage65.54 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage6Official
Mammography screening coverage68.3 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate7Official
Residents without health insurance7.59 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher20.19 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official
Crime reporting agencies1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics12Official
Households with a vehicle available91.07 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent4Official
Public transport agencies in the National Transit Database2 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Transit passenger trips, 2022514,379 trips4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Transit vehicles in peak service, 202260 vehicles4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Workers aged 16 and over35,845 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Workers mainly working from home8.44 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official
Households using cellular data plans90.82 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population5Official

Alternatives for people set on Merced

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Turlock as a Merced alternative in the same region

39 km away, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.

  • Nearest airport: 17.0 km Turlock vs 3.0 km Merced+467%
  • Median gross pay, city: €3,209 Turlock vs €2,613 Merced+23%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,352 Turlock vs 3,577 Merced−34%
  • Unemployment: 8.4% Turlock vs 11.3% Merced−26%
  • Annual PM2.5: 9.4 µg/m³ Turlock vs 7.8 µg/m³ Merced+20%
  • Foreign residents: 9.4% Turlock vs 12.4% Merced−24%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,740 Turlock vs €3,489 Merced+7%

Kenosha as a Merced alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 2825 km, better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,152 Kenosha vs 3,577 Merced−68%
  • Unemployment: 4.5% Kenosha vs 11.3% Merced−60%
  • Nearest airport: 9.0 km Kenosha vs 3.0 km Merced+200%
  • Foreign residents: 4.7% Kenosha vs 12.4% Merced−62%
  • Median gross pay, city: €3,123 Kenosha vs €2,613 Merced+20%
  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €139 Kenosha vs €238 Merced−42%
  • Annual PM2.5: 6.0 µg/m³ Kenosha vs 7.8 µg/m³ Merced−23%

Cities near Merced

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Winton Commuting Zone · 15.1 km away
Rent
1,068 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary
2,710 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Alternative cities in United States

Other cities in United States to compare with Merced, nearest in population first.

All United States cities

How does Merced compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Merced's.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Merced?

The median gross salary is 3,489 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Merced?

The unemployment rate is 11.34 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Merced?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.79 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Merced?

Police recorded 3,577 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Merced?

The published population is 99,724 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Merced?

20,308 residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Merced a good place to live?

Merced may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Merced?

Atwater, Winton, Livingston are near Merced. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Merced, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 51dce61f746edb49b18f7524c044055a]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/merced/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_merced-united-states-population-rent-salary-jobs-taxes_65fe2327dfa2,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Merced, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {51dce61f746edb49b18f7524c044055a},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/merced/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Merced, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/merced/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 51dce61f746edb49b18f7524c044055a; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables api.census.gov · checked 2026-10-04
  2. ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
  3. ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
  4. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  5. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  6. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  7. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  8. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  9. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  10. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
Show 20 more sources
  1. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  2. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  3. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
  4. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
  5. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  6. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  7. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  8. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  10. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  11. TIGERweb ACS2023 — Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas (CBSA, January 1 2023) TIGERweb ACS2023 · tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
  12. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  13. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  14. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  15. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  16. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  18. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  19. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  20. Numbeo - Cost of Living in Merced (Wayback Machine capture 20260209180136) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.