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
Los Banos
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Growth
67 · Top 21%
vs68 · Top 19%
Climate
75 · Top 28%
vs72 · Top 40%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 7%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
53 · Bottom 13%
vs48 · Bottom 9%
Access
69 · Bottom 12%
vs66 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 20%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Merced | Los Banos | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 91,953 | 47,593 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,122 | $68,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,343 | $25,963 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,956/sq mi | 4,761/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $372,600 | $440,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,393 | $1,557 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 45.9% | 59.8% | 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 | 20.2% | 12.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.9% | 17.4% | 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 | 56 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.5 min | 51.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.0 | 30.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 31 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.48 | 23.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 79.6% | 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
Merced
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Los Banos
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Merced, CA · Los Banos, CA · How this is calculated: methodology