HomeCaliforniaMerced County
Merced County, California: commercial real estate data.
Merced County, California had an estimated 296,774 residents on July 1, 2024, up 5.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 282,447, across 1,935 square miles. County output reached $13.28 bn in 2024, 3,592 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 146 7(a) approvals worth $130.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Merced County
How many people live in Merced County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024290,201
- Households86,055
- Average household size3.37
- Median household income$65,510
- Median age31.8
- Median gross rent$1,343 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$391,800
- Home value to household income6.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income24.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over174,127
- Population under 1883,330
- Share under 1828.7 percent
- Population 65 and over34,001
- Share 65 and over11.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64172,870
- Civilian labor force128,465
- Unemployment rate10.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.1 percent
- Rank by population among California counties23rd of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included248th of 3,222
Merced County is the 23rd largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 6.0 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 28.7 percent against 11.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Merced County
Is Merced County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024296,774
- Census 2020 base population282,447
- Population change since the 2020 census base5.07 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20242,372
- Births, 20243,651
- Deaths, 20242,154
- Natural change, 20241,497
- Net domestic migration, 2024-902
- Net international migration, 20241,758
- Total net migration, 2024856
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,888
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents518th of 3,144
The county has grown 5.07 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Merced County
Where are people moving to Merced County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,411
- People arriving, from those returns11,073
- Tax returns filed by households leaving5,523
- Net household movement-112
- Adjusted gross income arriving$291.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$2.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$53,930
- Average income of a leaving household$52,414
- Largest single originStanislaus County (1,244 households)
- Largest single destinationStanislaus County (1,001 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus County | 1,244 | 2,613 | $59.7 m |
| Santa Clara County | 825 | 1,875 | $58.0 m |
| Fresno County | 270 | 500 | $11.6 m |
| San Joaquin County | 269 | 575 | $16.6 m |
| Monterey County | 206 | 448 | $11.7 m |
| Alameda County | 199 | 427 | $13.9 m |
| Madera County | 182 | 374 | $7.3 m |
| Los Angeles County | 171 | 288 | $6.7 m |
Households arriving report $1,516 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Stanislaus County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Merced County
What is the Merced County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$13.28 bn
- County GDP, 2023$12.16 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.2 percent
- GDP change over five years38.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the California areas BEA publishes28th of 58
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes355th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$45,769
Output grew 9.2 percent in the latest year and 38.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Merced County
Employment by industry in Merced County
- Covered employment, annual average84,952
- Establishments reporting8,584
- Average annual pay$54,952
- Average weekly wage$1,057
- Health care and social assistance, employment11,851
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$51,004
- Manufacturing, employment9,221
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$65,145
- Retail trade, employment8,528
- Retail trade, average annual pay$37,581
- Accommodation and food services, employment6,261
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$26,465
- Construction, employment3,358
- Transportation and warehousing, employment2,934
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 11,851 | 4,467 | $51,004 |
| Manufacturing | 9,221 | 169 | $65,145 |
| Retail trade | 8,528 | 561 | $37,581 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,261 | 408 | $26,465 |
| Construction | 3,358 | 445 | $61,299 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,934 | 362 | $56,503 |
| Other services, except public administration | 2,160 | 285 | $44,783 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,647 | 189 | $40,698 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 11,851 jobs, 14.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Merced County
How many businesses are in Merced County?
- Establishments, all industries3,592
- Employment at those establishments49,545
- Annual payroll$2.45 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents12.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Merced County
Building permits in Merced County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024520
- Declared construction value permitted$161.3 m
- Single family units authorized517
- Multifamily units authorized3
- Multifamily share of units0.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$310,279
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.0
Single-family homes are 99.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Merced County
SBA loans in Merced County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded146
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$130.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$895,883
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,388,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,521
- Jobs per approval10.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active46
- Distinct industries receiving approvals73
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer35.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms52
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter83
- Franchise loans20
- Franchise share of approvals13.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (10)
- Most active lenderCeltic Bank Corporation (19)
- 504 approvals recorded75
- 504 gross approval dollars$79.9 m
- Average 504 approval$1,065,653
- Median 504 approval$547,000
- Distinct CDCs active13
- 504 jobs per approval9.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.0
- Most active CDCMortgage Capital Development Corporation (19)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$210.7 m
The average approval of $895,883 sits well above the median of $350,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. 35.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Merced County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Merced County
Do SBA loans in Merced County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded23
- Paid in full23
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full23
- Status: Exempt from disclosure98
- Status: Cancelled16
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed9
Only 23 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Merced County
SBA lending by place in Merced County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending15
- Merced, approvals59
- Los Banos, approvals28
- Atwater, approvals17
- Livingston, approvals10
- Gustine, approvals7
- Planada, approvals6
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Merced | 59 | $46,906,200 |
| Los Banos | 28 | $27,614,700 |
| Atwater | 17 | $17,513,800 |
| Livingston | 10 | $13,833,000 |
| Gustine | 7 | $3,667,800 |
| Planada | 6 | $8,079,000 |
| Dos Palos | 4 | $2,930,000 |
| Hilmar | 3 | $1,661,000 |
| 7 other borrower cities | 12 | $8,593,400 |
Merced accounts for 59 approvals against 28 in Los Banos. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Merced County
How large is Merced County?
- Land area1,935 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties25th of 58
- Width, east to west64.8 mi
- Height, north to south61.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land150
- Establishments per square mile1.86
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Merced County
Flood risk in Merced County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Merced County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 060188
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate85.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Merced County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Merced County (community 060188), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Merced County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 85.7 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Merced County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Merced County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024290,201
- Households86,055
- Average household size3.37
- Median household income$65,510
- Median age31.8
Common questions
Merced County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Merced County, California?
The Census Bureau estimates 296,774 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 290,201, in 86,055 households, ranking 23rd of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Merced County's population growing?
The population has grown 5.07 percent since the 2020 census base of 282,447, to 296,774 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 3,651 births against 2,154 deaths, with net migration of 856. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Merced County?
$65,510. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $391,800, which is 6.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,343 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Merced County?
3,592 establishments, employing 49,545 people with an annual payroll of $2.45 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Merced County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 11,851 jobs, 14.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 84,952 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,952, or $1,057 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Merced County?
146 7(a) approvals totaling $130.8 m since FY2020, across 46 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 75 504 approvals worth $79.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Merced County?
520 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $161.3 m. Multifamily was 0.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Merced County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Merced County come from?
The largest single origin is Stanislaus County, with 1,244 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,930 against $52,414 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Merced County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Merced County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Merced County
Cities and places in Merced.
25 Census places lie wholly or partly in Merced County. All 25 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced | city | 91,953 | 59 | Wholly in this county |
| Los Banos | city | 47,593 | 28 | Wholly in this county |
| Atwater | city | 32,162 | 17 | Wholly in this county |
| Livingston | city | 14,606 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Winton | CDP | 11,797 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Delhi | CDP | 11,009 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Franklin | CDP | 7,392 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gustine | city | 6,133 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Hilmar-Irwin | CDP | 6,132 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| McSwain | CDP | 5,783 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dos Palos | city | 5,765 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Planada | CDP | 3,506 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Santa Nella | CDP | 2,107 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Le Grand | CDP | 1,636 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| South Dos Palos | CDP | 1,102 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| University of California | CDP | 724 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| El Nido | CDP | 510 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ballico | CDP | 447 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cressey | CDP | 386 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bear Creek | CDP | 346 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dos Palos Y | CDP | 273 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Volta | CDP | 268 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Snelling | CDP | 243 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stevinson | CDP | 144 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tuttle | CDP | 73 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 9 of the county's 146 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Merced County, the largest being Hilmar (3), Turlock (3), Firebaugh (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby