Merced receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Merced
Chico
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 16%
vs31 · Bottom 8%
Growth
55 · Top 41%
vs44 · Bottom 39%
Climate
72 · Top 30%
vs72 · Top 31%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 4%
vs22 · Bottom 11%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 4%
vs54 · Bottom 3%
Access
70 · Bottom 38%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
46 · Bottom 43%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Merced | Chico | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 290,201 | 207,929 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $65,510 | $67,928 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,030 | $38,305 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 150/sq mi | 127/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $391,800 | $424,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,343 | $1,414 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.0% | 57.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 9.2% | 5.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.3% | 31.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.1% | 19.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 537 | 860 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 4.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -7.6% | -4.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 40°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 10.4" | 25.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 67 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.5 min | 21.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.8 | 36.2 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Merced
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Chico
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire, earthquake.
Full profiles: Merced, CA Metro Area · Chico, CA Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology