Signals
Merced
Winton
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs37 · Bottom 14%
Climate
75 · Top 28%
vs75 · Top 28%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 7%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
53 · Bottom 13%
vs58 · Bottom 17%
Access
69 · Bottom 12%
vs75 · Bottom 16%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 20%
vs51 · Bottom 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Merced | Winton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 91,953 | 11,797 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,122 | $57,015 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,343 | $23,968 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,956/sq mi | 3,879/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $372,600 | $339,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,393 | $1,156 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 45.9% | 49.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% | 9.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.2% | 7.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 23.9% | 14.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 96°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.8" | 11.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 56 mi | 49 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.5 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.0 | 29.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 31 | 1 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.48 | 26.82 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 79.6% | 79.7% | 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.
Winton
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Merced, CA · Winton, CA · How this is calculated: methodology