Merced County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Merced County, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in California
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in California
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Merced County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 290,118 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 146.6 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.14% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.2 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 86,051 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Merced County grew by 19.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 290,118 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Merced County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.1% of residents. That is 4.3 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 75,625 26.1% +4.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 62,592 21.6% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 50,296 17.3% -2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 34,190 11.8% -3.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.4% of the people living in Merced County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% California 49.9%
- Men 50.6% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Merced County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Merced County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Merced County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,042 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.13% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.5% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Merced County is about 33% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Merced County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $343,279 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,342 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.0% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Merced County is about 21.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,342 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Merced County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Merced County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.7 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.3 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,339 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.6% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,755 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,027 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
California:
Inyo County (11.1 min), Mono County (12.0 min), Del Norte County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Alpine County (31.3 min), San Benito County (31.2 min), Contra Costa County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Merced County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Merced County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Merced County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.6% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.33 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
California:
Marin County (0.5), San Francisco County (0.4), Santa Clara County (0.4).
Lowest:
Colusa County (0.2), Merced County (0.2), Glenn County (0.2).
Health
Merced County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Merced County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.1% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
California:
San Francisco County (0.8), San Mateo County (0.8), Santa Clara County (0.8).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.8), Imperial County (0.8), Tulare County (0.8).
Merced County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Merced County, CA is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 290,118 residents against a local median of 357,238. Where Merced County, CA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 30% below the local median of $488,956 at $343,279.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $66,042 against a local median of $87,625, 25% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 25% below the local median it puts Merced County, CA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $250,538 on median home price, so Merced County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Merced County, CA has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced County, CA | 290,118 | $66,042 #5/5 | $343,279 #5/5 | 20.7 min #1/5 |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 553,305 | $82,225 | $451,701 | 22.2 min |
| San Benito County, CA | 67,290 | $115,991 | $653,703 | 31.2 min |
| San Joaquin County, CA | 797,313 | $93,025 | $526,211 | 23.2 min |
| Madera County, CA | 161,170 | $76,645 | $403,165 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Merced County, California.
How big is Merced County, California by population?
About 290,118 people live in Merced County, California, in 86,051 households of 3.3 people on average. The median age is 33.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Merced County, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Merced County, California has 147 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Merced County, California?
The median home costs 5.2 times the median household income ($343,279 against $66,042), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,342 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Merced County, California?
Unemployment in Merced County, California is 10.5%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Merced County, California?
13.6% of adults in Merced County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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