95348 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
95348
93635
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 30%
vs38 · Bottom 18%
Growth
66 · Top 21%
vs66 · Top 21%
Climate
75 · Top 29%
vs72 · Top 41%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 7%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 11%
vs47 · Bottom 10%
Access
72 · Bottom 14%
vs66 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 21%
vs43 · Bottom 24%
Measured values
| Metric | 95348 | 93635 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,540 | 50,149 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,944 | $67,129 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,835 | $26,279 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 636/sq mi | 128/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $383,600 | $444,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,551 | $1,524 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.3% | 58.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% | 11.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.4% | 12.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 22.1% | 17.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 331 | 137 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 8.2% | 13.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.8" | 10.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 52 mi | 62 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.4 min | 50.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.2 | 30.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.74 | 23.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 79.2% | 80.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
95348
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
93635
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: 95348 — Merced, CA · 93635 — Los Banos, CA · How this is calculated: methodology