Visalia and Merced receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Visalia
Merced
Opportunity
24 · Bottom 3%
vs38 · Bottom 16%
Growth
63 · Top 29%
vs55 · Top 41%
Climate
71 · Top 34%
vs72 · Top 30%
Physical resilience
14 · Bottom 5%
vs11 · Bottom 4%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 15%
vs57 · Bottom 4%
Access
67 · Bottom 32%
vs70 · Bottom 38%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 47%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Visalia | Merced | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 478,693 | 290,201 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,300 | $65,510 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,185 | $28,030 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 99/sq mi | 150/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $330,100 | $391,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,280 | $1,343 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 58.5% | 54.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 10.1% | 9.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.9% | 19.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,015 | 537 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.2 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 36.1% | -7.6% | 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 | 12.1" | 10.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 57 mi | 56 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 31.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.1 | 31.8 | 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
Visalia
Elevated or high exposure: heat wave, inland flooding, wildfire.
Merced
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Visalia, CA Metro Area · Merced, CA Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology