Merced
California · Ranked #307 of 373 metros
49Moderate
💡
Housing in Merced costs 7.1× the median income, above the national average of 4.5×. The median home price is $409K and median rent is $1,294/month. Merced ranks #307 of 373 metros for affordability.
Median Home Price
🏠$409K
Need $121K income
Median Rent
🔑$1,294
Need $52K income
Building Permits
🔨520
annual
Median Income
💰$58K
Pop: 222,774
Rent Burden
⚠️29.7%
of renters paying >30%
Homeownership
🏡53.0%
Rent Burden
vs. National Average
Key Facts vs. National Average
| Metric | Merced | National |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 7.1x | 6.1x |
| Rent Burden | 29.7% | 31.5% |
| Homeownership Rate | 53.0% | 65.5% |
| YoY Rent Change | 0% | +2.8% |
| Mortgage Denial Rate | 0.0% | 13.5% |
| Eviction Rate | 0.0% | 3.6% |
House Price Index (2000–2025)
FHFA All-Transactions HPI
Since 2019: +50.8%Since 2000: +190.7%
HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026)
Section 8 voucher payment standards
Studio$1,116/mo
1 Bedroom$1,213/mo
2 Bedroom$1,503/mo
3 Bedroom$2,067/mo
4 Bedroom$2,503/mo
Zillow Market Data
Home Value (ZHVI)
$413K
1yr: -1.9%5yr: +26.0%
Rent (ZORI)
$1,876/mo
1yr: +1.3%5yr: +35.4%
Note: ZORI reflects current listing prices and may differ from the Census ACS median rent shown above, which captures what renters actually pay including below-market and subsidized units.
Redfin Market Activity
Median Sale Price
$355K
Active Inventory
7
Days on Market
114
Sold Above List
50.0%
Price Drops
85.7%