Typical home value
$417,265
What a typical home sells for across the Merced area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 2% below the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $98 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 98.3 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 1 hr 50 min at rush hour
To downtown San Jose, CA, 97 miles. About 1 hr 43 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
31 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: Varro's map of data center buildings
Homeowners insurance
About $1,616 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in CA. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Median household income
$65,044
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.68% of home value a year
About $680 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 13.30%
CA's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026