Map the Block › Places › California › Merced County
What are the crime rate and median income in Merced County, California?
Merced County averaged 5.4 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 13% higher than the California rate (4.8). The median household earns $65,510 and the unemployment rate was 8.9% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 290,201 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Merced County?
From 2021 through 2025, Merced County averaged 1,608 reported violent crimes a year, along with 5,959 property crimes. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 5.4: 13% higher than the California rate (4.8), and 47% higher than the national rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 20.1 per 1,000 residents, compared with 21.2 across California. Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (70%). CDC death records show about 21 homicide deaths a year in the county (7.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Merced County | Per 1,000 | California per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,608 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 20 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 185 | 0.62 | 0.37 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 270 | 0.91 | 1.2 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 1,133 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 5,959 | 20.1 | 21.2 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 1,001 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 4,000 | 13.5 | 13.6 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 958 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (7 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Merced County?
Median household income is $65,510, 34% lower than the statewide figure ($99,122). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $391,800, and the median rent is $1,343 a month. 21.0% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.4%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 8.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 10,899 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Merced County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 290,201 | 39,287,377 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $65,510 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $391,800 | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,343 | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 10.6% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 19.1% | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 21.0% | 12.4% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 15.3% | 37.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 54.0% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 31.8 | 37.9 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 88.4% | 93.5% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 8.1% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Merced County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Merced County as “Relatively High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are river flooding (Relatively High), heat waves (Relatively High) and earthquakes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Merced County: Castle Air Force Base (6 Areas). A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 8 high-hazard dams in Merced County. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 3 are rated Satisfactory or Fair. Tallest on the list: B.F. Sisk Dam (382 ft) and Los Banos Creek Detention Dam (167 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
14 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 275,403 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Merced County was covered by 4 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 2, Flood 2), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 35 of 366 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 22 community water systems, 10 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 46 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 6 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Merced County?
No highway work zones were listed in Merced County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Merced County?
Federal school lists show 117 public and 7 private schools in the county. 10 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 31 fire or EMS stations and 12 police or sheriff stations. 5 state parks or recreation areas: George J. Hatfield State Recreation Area, Great Valley Grasslands State Park, McConnell State Recreation Area, Pacheco State Park and San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Merced County
Gun shops
One gun shop with a public storefront is on the map in Merced County, plus 7 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: Chavez Firearms 209 (Merced).
Liquor stores
29 liquor stores are on the map in Merced County: Bernies Liquor And Deli (Merced), Beverage House Liquor #11 (Los Banos), Bi-Rite Liquors Merced INC (Merced), Bobbis Liquor (Atwater), Brothers Royal Crown (Atwater), California Liquors (Merced), Cottonwood Liquors INC (Delhi), Delhi Gas And Liquor (Delhi) and 21 more.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Merced County: Planned Parenthood Mar Monte (Merced).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Merced County?
Merced County averaged 1,608 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 5.4 per 1,000 residents, 13% higher than the California rate (4.8). The property-crime rate was 20.1 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Merced County?
$65,510 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $99,122 for California and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Merced County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 8.9% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 10,899 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Merced County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Merced County as “Relatively High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are river flooding (Relatively High), heat waves (Relatively High) and earthquakes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Merced County?
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Merced County: Castle Air Force Base (6 Areas).
Is there road construction in Merced County right now?
No highway work zones were listed in Merced County in the October 11, 2026 state feed. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.
How many nursing homes are in Merced County?
10 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Merced County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno County | 1,016,725 | 6.6 | $74,201 |
| Madera County | 160,940 | 4.9 | $76,627 |
| Mariposa County | 17,082 | 4.7 | $68,412 |
| San Benito County | 67,290 | 3.3 | $114,394 |
| Santa Clara County | 1,902,047 | 4.1 | $164,281 |
| Stanislaus County | 553,990 | 4.7 | $81,468 |
| Tuolumne County | 54,498 | 6.2 | $77,404 |
Cities in Merced County with their own page: Merced.
More: California statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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