Merced County, California
Located in California, Merced County has a population of 290,201 residents and a median age of 31.8 years, making it the #248 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.1%. The median home value is $391,800, and the median household income is $65,510, which is 13% below the national median.
Demographics
Merced County has a population of 290,201, making it the #248 most populous county in the US. The median age is 31.8 years, which is 18.3% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Merced County is $65,510, ranking #1,592 out of 3,222 counties — 12.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.1% and unemployment stands at 10.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Merced County is $391,800 (+39.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,343/mo and the homeownership rate is 54.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Merced County, 15.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.5% below the national average, ranking #2,762 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Merced County is 76.2 years. 29.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.0% of adults in Merced County smoke , 34.5% are obese , and 18.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 20.9 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Merced County is 7.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 9.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.5 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.7% of children in Merced County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 18.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Merced County is 59.5%. The mean commute time is 32.8 min, which is 18.9% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Merced County voted Republican with a margin of 4.4%. The vote was 46.5% Dem / 50.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 15.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Merced County, California
Merced County, California has a total population of 290,201, making it the 248th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Merced County is 31.8 years, which is 18.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Merced County is $65,510, which ranks #1,592 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 10.5%.
The median home value in Merced County is $391,800, 39.0% above the national median. Renters in Merced County pay a median gross rent of $1,343 per month. The homeownership rate is 54.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Merced County, 15.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.8 min.
Merced County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 63.4% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (23.2%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (7.1%).
All data for Merced County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.