Poverty and living standards in Merced, California: official figures
23.9% of residents of Merced (21,742 people) had incomes below the federal poverty line in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, 58th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 12.5%; California: 12.0%).
How many children live in poverty in Merced?
33.4% of children under 18 in Merced lived below the poverty line in 2020-2024 (9,061 children), 47th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 16.1%; California: 15.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate for older people in Merced?
By age, the poverty rate in Merced was 34.7% for children under 6 and 16.4% for residents aged 60 and over in 2020-2024 (US: 17.2% and 11.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Merced live in deep poverty?
9,894 people in Merced, 10.9% of residents, had incomes below half the poverty line in 2020-2024, 85th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 6.0%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many renters in Merced are cost-burdened?
55.1% of renting households in Merced spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities in 2020-2024 (7,935 households), 312th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 51.1%; California: 55.3%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many households in Merced spend half their income on rent?
31.0% of renting households in Merced spent half or more of their income on rent and utilities, 178th highest of 823 US cities of 50,000 or more (US: 25.9%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · saved copyHow many people in Merced are food insecure?
An estimated 29.7% of adults in Merced experienced food insecurity in the past year, 47th highest of 592 US cities of 50,000 or more with an estimate, and 23.3% housing insecurity (CDC PLACES model-based estimate for 2023, age-adjusted).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · saved copyHow Merced compares with other cities in the United States
Residents below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Merced ranks 58 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | Dearborn | 24.3% |
| 56 | Columbia | 24.0% |
| 57 | New Haven | 23.9% |
| 58 | Merced | 23.9% |
| 59 | Ann Arbor | 23.8% |
| 60 | Schenectady | 23.8% |
| 61 | Brownsville | 23.7% |
Children under 18 below the poverty line (2020-2024)
Merced ranks 47 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Children under 18 below the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | Bossier City | 34.2% |
| 45 | Bridgeport | 33.5% |
| 46 | Valdosta | 33.4% |
| 47 | Merced | 33.4% |
| 48 | Rocky Mount | 33.3% |
| 49 | Kingsport | 33.3% |
| 50 | Taylor | 33.2% |
Residents with incomes below half the poverty line (2020-2024)
Merced ranks 85 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Residents with incomes below half the poverty line |
|---|---|---|
| 82 | Harlingen | 11.0% |
| 83 | La Crosse | 10.9% |
| 84 | Columbia | 10.9% |
| 85 | Merced | 10.9% |
| 86 | Peoria | 10.9% |
| 87 | Lawrence | 10.8% |
| 88 | Las Cruces | 10.8% |
Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent (2020-2024)
Merced ranks 312 of 823, highest first.
| Rank | City | Renting households spending 30% or more of income on rent |
|---|---|---|
| 309 | Lakewood | 55.2% |
| 310 | Brooklyn Park | 55.2% |
| 311 | Berwyn | 55.1% |
| 312 | Merced | 55.1% |
| 313 | Watsonville | 55.1% |
| 314 | Avondale | 55.1% |
| 315 | Mesa | 55.1% |
Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) (2023)
Merced ranks 47 of 592, highest first.
| Rank | City | Adults experiencing food insecurity (age-adjusted model estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | West New York | 30.1% |
| 45 | Perris | 29.9% |
| 46 | Waterbury | 29.8% |
| 47 | Merced | 29.7% |
| 48 | Rochester | 29.5% |
| 49 | Salinas | 29.5% |
| 50 | Baldwin Park | 29.3% |
More on Merced: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · all cities in the United States
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: PLACES: Place Data (GIS Friendly Format), 2025 release: model-based age-adjusted prevalence among adults, for every place (data.cdc.gov API, columns used), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b2174bcc660f…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B17020: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 e79a292f34605560506b7f4b5c8ea242c9d6e203c8e95ba675565ddb7758571e), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 41bab025d213…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table C17002: Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 dc3dc675113683ec3ff2a0e29a840f43e03268151d7f14b922658d7306da5187), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 31aa364bfddf…)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B25070: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income in the Past 12 Months (Summary File rows for the US, the states and the listed cities, copied unchanged from the full file, sha256 862ccc17d913305d11e6f802ce4518d76b30585ea0b05b251cd8cf21f8661386), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4f8d499d9e95…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.