Merced County, California's estimated 2024 population is 293,630 with a growth rate of 0.59% in the past year according to the most recent United States census data. Merced County, California is the 23rd largest county in California. The 2010 population was 256,709 and has seen a growth of 14.38% since that time.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 302,180 | 1,710 | 0.57% |
| 2028 | 300,470 | 1,710 | 0.57% |
| 2027 | 298,760 | 1,710 | 0.58% |
| 2026 | 297,050 | 1,710 | 0.58% |
| 2025 | 295,340 | 1,710 | 0.58% |
| 2024 | 293,630 | 1,710 | 0.59% |
| 2023 | 291,920 | 1,710 | 0.59% |
| 2022 | 290,210 | 5,600 | 1.97% |
| 2021 | 284,610 | 2,780 | 0.99% |
| 2020 | 281,830 | 4,716 | 1.7% |
| 2019 | 277,114 | 3,381 | 1.24% |
| 2018 | 273,733 | 2,896 | 1.07% |
| 2017 | 270,837 | 3,467 | 1.3% |
| 2016 | 267,370 | 1,237 | 0.46% |
| 2015 | 266,133 | 1,892 | 0.72% |
| 2014 | 264,241 | 2,353 | 0.9% |
| 2013 | 261,888 | 1,112 | 0.43% |
| 2012 | 260,776 | 1,527 | 0.59% |
| 2011 | 259,249 | 2,540 | 0.99% |
| 2010 | 256,709 | 0 | 0% |
| 1990 | 178,403 | 43,843 | 32.58% |
| 1980 | 134,560 | 29,931 | 28.61% |
| 1970 | 104,629 | 14,183 | 15.68% |
| 1960 | 90,446 | 20,666 | 29.62% |
| 1950 | 69,780 | 22,792 | 48.51% |
| 1940 | 46,988 | 10,240 | 27.87% |
| 1930 | 36,748 | 12,169 | 49.51% |
| 1920 | 24,579 | 9,431 | 62.26% |
| 1910 | 15,148 | 5,933 | 64.38% |
| 1900 | 9,215 | 1,130 | 13.98% |
| 1890 | 8,085 | 2,429 | 42.95% |
| 1880 | 5,656 | 2,849 | 101.5% |
| 1870 | 2,807 | 1,666 | 146.01% |
| 1860 | 1,141 | -301,039 | -99.62% |
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 117,491 | 41.62% |
| Other race | 104,067 | 36.87% |
| Two or more races | 27,695 | 9.81% |
| Asian | 20,601 | 7.3% |
| Black or African American | 8,329 | 2.95% |
| Native American | 3,311 | 1.17% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 796 | 0.28% |
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 | 82,760 | 3.34 | 53.4 | 46.6 |
| Married | 40,383 | 4.01 | 65.8 | 34.2 |
| Non Family | 19,682 | 1.3 | 44.1 | 55.9 |
| Female | 14,850 | 3.93 | 33.7 | 66.3 |
| Male | 7,845 | 3.93 | 49.9 | 50.1 |
3.81
Average Family Size
3.34
Average Household Size
53.4%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 19,840 | 11.77% |
| Associates Degree | 12,943 | 7.68% |
| Bachelors Degree | 17,165 | 10.19% |
| Graduate Degree | 7,512 | 4.46% |
| High School Graduate | 46,826 | 27.79% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 28,282 | 16.78% |
| Some College | 35,935 | 21.33% |
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 | 93,469 | 55,918 | 6,977 |
| Other Race | 55,837 | 29,615 | 3,174 |
| White | 52,636 | 46,606 | 12,084 |
| 2+ Races | 15,018 | 11,868 | 2,226 |
| Asian | 12,491 | 9,196 | 3,779 |
| Black | 5,383 | 4,679 | 767 |
| Native American | 2,111 | 1,594 | 352 |
| Islander | 447 | 409 | 77 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 91.5%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 30.25%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $56,563 | $59,103 | $52,650 |
| Graduate Degree | $83,768 | $102,903 | $78,125 |
| High School Graduate | $39,432 | $45,491 | $31,659 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $31,660 | $37,651 | $20,432 |
| Overall | $40,086 | $45,879 | $31,216 |
| Some College | $42,170 | $52,798 | $31,887 |
$40,086
Average Earnings
$45,879
Average Male
$31,216
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
46.46% of Merced County, California residents speak only English, while 53.54% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 44.98% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 171,668 | 35,272 | 20.55% |
| Other | 101,770 | 22,482 | 22.09% |
| White | 70,049 | 9,050 | 12.92% |
| Multiple | 27,363 | 4,575 | 16.72% |
| Asian | 20,184 | 3,747 | 18.56% |
| Black | 7,617 | 2,368 | 31.09% |
| Native | 3,200 | 793 | 24.78% |
18.52%
Overall Poverty Rate
16.04%
Male Poverty Rate
21.06%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Merced County, California is Black, with 31.09% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Merced County, California is White, with 12.92% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.55%. Among those working part-time, it was 15.98%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.78%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 20.45% |
| High School | 15.83% |
| Some College | 11.56% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 6.81% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Male Unemployed | 25.76% |
| Female Unemployed | 21.79% |
| Female Employed | 8.52% |
| Male Employed | 6.39% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $70,798 | $92,815 |
| Households | $64,772 | $86,076 |
| Married Families | $84,611 | $112,226 |
| Non Families | $38,006 | $52,086 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
44.2%
Overall Marriage Rate
45.2%
Male Marriage Rate
43.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, 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
8,461
Number of Veterans
7,567
Male Veterans
894
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 3,348 |
| Second Gulf War | 1,758 |
| First Gulf War | 1,584 |
| Korea | 648 |
| World War II | 63 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 65 to 74 | 2,475 |
| 75+ | 2,124 |
| 55 to 64 | 1,672 |
| 35 to 54 | 1,576 |
| 18 to 34 | 614 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 6,110 | 7.03% |
| Hispanic | 2,216 | 1.92% |
| 2+ Races | 747 | 4.18% |
| Other Race | 638 | 0.91% |
| Black | 593 | 9.16% |
| Asian | 199 | 1.32% |
| Native American | 171 | 7.05% |
| Islander | 3 | 0.58% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
10.26%
Veteran Poverty Rate
36.58%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
59.3%
Labor Force Participation
52.8%
Employment Rate
10.7%
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
64.91%
Born in Merced County, California
73.73%
Native Born
26.27%
Foreign Born
15.42%
Non Citizen
10.85%
Naturalized
73.73% of Merced County, California residents were born in the United States, with 64.91% having been born in California. 15.42% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.