Merced receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
King City
Merced
Opportunity
34 · Bottom 10%
vs46 · Bottom 29%
Growth
59 · Top 35%
vs67 · Top 21%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs75 · Top 28%
Physical resilience
13 · Bottom 9%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
46 · Bottom 8%
vs53 · Bottom 13%
Access
48 · Bottom 3%
vs69 · Bottom 12%
Economic stability
35 · Bottom 12%
vs42 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | King City | Merced | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,604 | 91,953 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,761 | $63,122 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $19,413 | $27,343 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,583/sq mi | 3,956/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $449,900 | $372,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,534 | $1,393 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 42.1% | 45.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 7.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% | 20.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.0% | 23.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 56 | 331 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.1 | 3.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -24.3% | 8.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.8" | 11.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 88 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.0 min | 28.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.7 | 30.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 31 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.93 | 23.48 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 85.7% | 79.6% | 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
King City
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Merced
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: King City, CA · Merced, CA · How this is calculated: methodology