Living in Merced

Merced is a large place in California, United States, home to 82,436 people. Of the 29 household profiles on Nestlyzer, its strongest are business owners (top 75%, #9,067 of 12,111), expat professionals (top 77%, #5,574 of 7,271), climate-conscious movers (top 80%, #9,641 of 12,111).

Residents82,436

Density– per km²

Area– km²

Hub airport90 km (Fresno Yosemite International)

Nearest city of 100k+59 km

Within 30 km171,700 people

Climate typeMediterranean, hot summer (Csa)

Terrain around itabout 50 m, height range 60 m

Main railway lineunder 1 km

Distance to Washington, D.C.3,772 km

Within 10 km82,436 people

Winter daylight9 h 35 min, sunset 1:48

See Merced on the map

Open in Nestlyzer

Good to know about Merced

On the shortest day the sun is up for 9 h 35 min and sets around 1:48; in late June it sets around 5:26.

How Merced ranks

Scores run 0 to 100 against every municipality in United States. Ranks count only the places that pass each profile's minimums, so the totals differ by profile. Local data: official statistics on affordability, green space, education and family, health and elderly, jobs and economy, lifestyle and amenities, mobility and connectivity and safety and community (local or regional figures, sources on every place page) plus population and geography.

Profile	Score	In United States	In California
Young family	0	#11,870 of 11,898	#846 of 863	Map
Low-income household	12	#9,445 of 9,771	#576 of 775	Map
Low-income family	2	#7,988 of 8,006	#691 of 709	Map
Single parent	5	#6,231 of 6,237	#606 of 612	Map
Pensioner couple	49	#8,256 of 9,474	#655 of 760	Map
Single pensioner	40	#8,535 of 9,474	#680 of 760	Map
Early retiree	51	#8,633 of 10,762	#725 of 811	Map
Single professional		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Young professional		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
DINKS		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Remote worker	47	#6,835 of 7,271	#556 of 648	Map
Commuter		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Car-free household		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Student		not ranked: below the minimum for campus	–	Map
First-home buyer	14	#7,835 of 8,006	#650 of 709	Map
Budget-constrained mover	21	#10,811 of 12,111	#190 of 862	Map
Urban lifestyle seeker		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map
Expat professional	33	#5,574 of 7,271	#573 of 648	Map
Healthcare-first mover	37	#8,119 of 9,474	#667 of 760	Map
Nature-focused household	10	#17,872 of 18,063	#920 of 1060	Map
Cross-border commuter		not ranked: must-have: a border within 45 km where pay is higher on the other side	–	Map
Outdoor and mountain lover	0	#15,944 of 16,523	#907 of 1020	Map
Rural value seeker	3	#17,665 of 18,063	#764 of 1060	Map
High-net-worth mover	42	#10,162 of 16,523	#840 of 1020	Map
Lottery winner	48	#6,922 of 21,167	#658 of 1147	Map
Climate-resilient relocation	55	#9,641 of 12,111	#533 of 862	Map
Coastal living		not ranked: below the minimum for coast	–	Map
Business owner	26	#9,067 of 12,111	#742 of 862	Map
Digital native		not ranked: below the minimum for regional access	–	Map

Strengths and trade-offs

Services nearby (people within 10 km: shops, doctors, cafes, transport)100
Universities in town (universities and universities of applied sciences within 10 km)95
University-town character (universities relative to the people nearby)94
Climate (mild and sunny: climate class and winter daylight)90
Climate exposure (estimate: coastal and river flooding, heat; 100 = low)90
Freight access (motorway, rail, port)80
Home market (residents of the same country within 150 km)75
Foundation73
One-day truck radius (residents within 300 km, across borders)62
Flat land (terrain relief)59
Market reach (residents within 100 km, across borders)54
Health and elderly50
Mobility and connectivity49
Lifestyle and amenities49
City scale (people within 10 km: big-city life, transit, scenes)33
Jobs and economy26
Affordability22
Green space14
Safety and community13
Education and family9
Mountains and water (terrain relief, lakes and the sea nearby)2
Port access (major sea or inland port)0
Chemical park nearby (sites with pipeline links)0
National border nearby (straight line)0
Financial centre (banking and capital markets) within commuting distance0
Commodity-trading or gold hub within commuting distance0
Crypto hub within commuting distance0
Wealth-management centre within commuting distance0

Nearby

Data: Eurostat GISCO LAU 2024; locations EDJNet LAU centres; airports OurAirports; coastline Natural Earth. Updated 2026-10-31. Rankings are decision aids, not advice.