Merced is a city located in Merced County California. Merced has a 2024 population of 95,958. It is also the county seat of Merced County. Merced is currently growing at a rate of 2.42% annually and its population has increased by 10.43% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 86,893 in 2020.
The average household income in Merced is $81,691 with a poverty rate of 22.99%. The median age in Merced is 29.8 years: 29.1 years for males, and 30.5 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Merced was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| Other race | 35,221 | 39.24% |
| White | 28,446 | 31.69% |
| Two or more races | 11,786 | 13.13% |
| Asian | 8,812 | 9.82% |
| Black or African American | 4,443 | 4.95% |
| Native American | 658 | 0.73% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 400 | 0.45% |
Other race
White
Two or more races
Asian
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 27,482 | 3.22 | 44.4 | 55.6 |
| Married | 10,746 | 3.89 | 63.1 | 36.9 |
| Non Family | 7,575 | 1.35 | 36.3 | 63.7 |
| Female | 6,210 | 4.11 | 23 | 77 |
| Male | 2,951 | 3.75 | 42.5 | 57.5 |
3.73
Average Family Size
3.22
Average Household Size
44.4%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 5,639 | 10.82% |
| Associates Degree | 5,110 | 9.81% |
| Bachelors Degree | 6,069 | 11.65% |
| Graduate Degree | 3,286 | 6.31% |
| High School Graduate | 13,941 | 26.76% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 6,239 | 11.98% |
| Some College | 11,810 | 22.67% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 27,125 | 18,382 | 2,897 |
| Other Race | 18,518 | 11,361 | 1,608 |
| White | 15,196 | 13,915 | 3,877 |
| 2+ Races | 5,831 | 4,767 | 1,002 |
| Asian | 5,439 | 4,202 | 1,750 |
| Black | 2,339 | 2,076 | 493 |
| Native American | 524 | 376 | 85 |
| Islander | 226 | 213 | 12 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 94.25%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 32.18%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $67,039 | $69,200 | $66,037 |
| Graduate Degree | $77,467 | $88,167 | $73,142 |
| High School Graduate | $38,586 | $42,580 | $31,990 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $30,437 | $36,147 | $20,881 |
| Overall | $39,733 | $45,162 | $32,951 |
| Some College | $38,674 | $46,808 | $29,624 |
$39,733
Average Earnings
$45,162
Average Male
$32,951
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
53.34% of Merced residents speak only English, while 46.66% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 37.34% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 51,928 | 12,991 | 25.02% |
| Other | 34,755 | 8,988 | 25.86% |
| White | 20,135 | 3,527 | 17.52% |
| Multiple | 11,652 | 2,569 | 22.05% |
| Black | 4,416 | 1,780 | 40.31% |
| Asian | 8,810 | 1,304 | 14.8% |
| Islander | 400 | 127 | 31.75% |
| Native | 658 | 21 | 3.19% |
22.99%
Overall Poverty Rate
20.57%
Male Poverty Rate
25.35%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Merced is Black, with 40.31% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Merced is Native, with 3.19% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.1%. Among those working part-time, it was 21.38%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 33.79%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 25.29% |
| High School | 19.92% |
| Some College | 15.82% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 7.7% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 29.3% |
| Female Unemployed | 26.56% |
| Female Employed | 12.25% |
| Male Employed | 8.71% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $67,504 | $86,175 |
| Households | $59,938 | $81,691 |
| Married Families | $90,432 | $112,044 |
| Non Families | $37,765 | $54,816 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
36.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
38.9%
Male Marriage Rate
34.9%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
2,522
Number of Veterans
2,253
Male Veterans
269
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 918 |
| Second Gulf War | 717 |
| First Gulf War | 492 |
| Korea | 140 |
| World War II | 7 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 65 to 74 | 653 |
| 55 to 64 | 592 |
| 75+ | 572 |
| 35 to 54 | 420 |
| 18 to 34 | 285 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,651 | 7.63% |
| Hispanic | 637 | 1.88% |
| 2+ Races | 275 | 3.99% |
| Other Race | 254 | 1.07% |
| Black | 226 | 7.47% |
| Asian | 84 | 1.29% |
| Native American | 32 | 5.54% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
10.91%
Veteran Poverty Rate
39.25%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
61.8%
Labor Force Participation
54.2%
Employment Rate
12.3%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
69.53%
Born in Merced
77.95%
Native Born
22.05%
Foreign Born
12.09%
Non Citizen
9.96%
Naturalized
77.95% of Merced residents were born in the United States, with 69.53% having been born in California. 12.09% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 107,289 | 2,266 | 2.16% |
| 2028 | 105,023 | 2,266 | 2.21% |
| 2027 | 102,757 | 2,267 | 2.26% |
| 2026 | 100,490 | 2,266 | 2.31% |
| 2025 | 98,224 | 2,266 | 2.36% |
| 2024 | 95,958 | 2,266 | 2.42% |
| 2023 | 93,692 | 1,604 | 1.74% |
| 2022 | 92,088 | 2,134 | 2.37% |
| 2021 | 89,954 | 3,061 | 3.52% |
| 2020 | 86,893 | 2,215 | 2.62% |
| 2019 | 84,678 | 1,458 | 1.75% |
| 2018 | 83,220 | 753 | 0.91% |
| 2017 | 82,467 | 601 | 0.73% |
| 2016 | 81,866 | 360 | 0.44% |
| 2015 | 81,506 | 573 | 0.71% |
| 2014 | 80,933 | 472 | 0.59% |
| 2013 | 80,461 | 426 | 0.53% |
| 2012 | 80,035 | 430 | 0.54% |
| 2011 | 79,605 | 508 | 0.64% |
| 2010 | 79,097 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 63,893 | 7,677 | 13.66% |
| 1990 | 56,216 | 19,717 | 54.02% |
| 1980 | 36,499 | 13,829 | 61% |
| 1970 | 22,670 | 2,602 | 12.97% |
| 1960 | 20,068 | 4,790 | 31.35% |
| 1950 | 15,278 | 5,143 | 50.74% |
| 1940 | 10,135 | 3,069 | 43.43% |
| 1930 | 7,066 | 3,092 | 77.81% |
| 1920 | 3,974 | 872 | 28.11% |
| 1910 | 3,102 | 1,133 | 57.54% |
| 1900 | 1,969 | -40 | -1.99% |
| 1890 | 2,009 | 563 | 38.93% |
| 1880 | 1,446 | -105,843 | -98.65% |