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 $78,097 with a poverty rate of 25.19%. The median age in Merced is 29.9 years: 29 years for males, and 31 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Merced was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 33,439 | 38.13% |
| Other race | 31,307 | 35.7% |
| Two or more races | 8,997 | 10.26% |
| Asian | 8,923 | 10.18% |
| Black or African American | 3,967 | 4.52% |
| Native American | 749 | 0.85% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 304 | 0.35% |
White
Other race
Two or more races
Asian
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 27,084 | 3.19 | 43.3 | 56.7 |
| Married | 11,077 | 3.87 | 61.8 | 38.2 |
| Non Family | 7,678 | 1.39 | 33.6 | 66.4 |
| Female | 5,770 | 4.08 | 20.6 | 79.4 |
| Male | 2,559 | 3.68 | 43 | 57 |
3.67
Average Family Size
3.19
Average Household Size
43.3%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 5,444 | 10.72% |
| Associates Degree | 5,102 | 10.04% |
| Bachelors Degree | 5,499 | 10.83% |
| Graduate Degree | 3,063 | 6.03% |
| High School Graduate | 13,006 | 25.6% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 6,413 | 12.63% |
| Some College | 12,268 | 24.15% |
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 | 27,057 | 17,890 | 2,639 |
| Other Race | 16,201 | 9,683 | 1,291 |
| White | 14,972 | 13,820 | 3,753 |
| 2+ Races | 4,924 | 4,084 | 874 |
| Asian | 4,816 | 3,808 | 1,471 |
| Black | 2,184 | 1,848 | 360 |
| Native American | 512 | 366 | 33 |
| Islander | 224 | 213 | 11 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 95.09%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 30.54%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $59,844 | $58,900 | $62,609 |
| Graduate Degree | $82,035 | $112,869 | $69,787 |
| High School Graduate | $35,832 | $39,651 | $31,776 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $29,849 | $33,615 | $19,052 |
| Overall | $38,370 | $43,046 | $32,843 |
| Some College | $39,212 | $47,044 | $30,075 |
$38,370
Average Earnings
$43,046
Average Male
$32,843
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
51.73% of Merced residents speak only English, while 48.27% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 39.06% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 51,218 | 14,054 | 27.44% |
| Other | 30,836 | 8,779 | 28.47% |
| White | 20,024 | 3,558 | 17.77% |
| Multiple | 8,878 | 2,048 | 23.07% |
| Asian | 8,920 | 2,035 | 22.81% |
| Black | 3,906 | 1,747 | 44.73% |
| Native | 739 | 92 | 12.45% |
25.19%
Overall Poverty Rate
21.92%
Male Poverty Rate
28.38%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Merced is Black, with 44.73% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Merced is Native, with 12.45% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.29%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.39%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 36.5%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 26.27% |
| High School | 21.15% |
| Some College | 15.9% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 6.4% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 29.49% |
| Male Unemployed | 28.52% |
| Female Employed | 12.95% |
| Male Employed | 9.36% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $65,348 | $82,973 |
| Households | $59,233 | $78,097 |
| Married Families | $83,969 | $106,937 |
| Non Families | $37,295 | $51,999 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
38.0%
Overall Marriage Rate
40.2%
Male Marriage Rate
35.9%
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 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
2,690
Number of Veterans
2,414
Male Veterans
276
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 994 |
| Second Gulf War | 614 |
| First Gulf War | 439 |
| Korea | 161 |
| World War II | 16 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 65 to 74 | 729 |
| 55 to 64 | 700 |
| 75+ | 570 |
| 35 to 54 | 452 |
| 18 to 34 | 239 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,895 | 7.43% |
| Hispanic | 706 | 2.06% |
| 2+ Races | 273 | 4.84% |
| Other Race | 237 | 1.13% |
| Black | 203 | 7.38% |
| Asian | 42 | 0.68% |
| Native American | 40 | 6.75% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
9.99%
Veteran Poverty Rate
32.95%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
60.9%
Labor Force Participation
53.2%
Employment Rate
12.6%
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
68.08%
Born in Merced
76.82%
Native Born
23.18%
Foreign Born
13.07%
Non Citizen
10.11%
Naturalized
76.82% of Merced residents were born in the United States, with 68.08% having been born in California. 13.07% 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% |