Relocation profile · Federal data
Merced, CA
Cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools and environment for Merced - every figure straight from federal data.
- 98.3
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,503
- 2BR rent / mo
- $68,749
- Median salary
- 29.6
- LiveAbility Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Merced ranks #370 of 387 US metros on the LiveAbility Score (29.6/100), with its strongest marks in job market and climate.
- #370
- of 387 US metros · Well below median
- 39,431,263
- metro-area population
- 477
- violent crimes per 100K (state-level)
- 10,006
- schools in the state (NCES)
Weakest dimension: schools (7/100). Weigh every dimension against your own priorities, use the City Finder to re-rank by what matters to you.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and five other federal agencies, Merced has a cost-of-living index of 98.3 (100 = national average), a median 2-bedroom rent of $1,503/mo, and a median salary of $68,749. Its composite LiveAbility Score is 29.6/100, ranking #370 of 387 U.S. metros, with its strongest marks in job market and climate.
How Merced ranks nationally
Where Merced's LiveAbility Score falls among all 387 US metros scored.
Merced has liveability score of 29.6. Distribution: 0 US metros at 0-10; 0 US metros at 10-20; 21 US metros at 20-30; 41 US metros at 30-40; 110 US metros at 40-50; 159 US metros at 50-60; 50 US metros at 60-70; 6 US metros at 70-80; 0 US metros at 80-90; 0 US metros at 90-100.
Merced, CA: BEA RPP 98.3 (US=100), HUD 2BR rent $1,503/mo, BLS median salary $68,749, FBI violent crime 477/100K (state), NCES 10,006 schools (state), composite Life Score 44.5/100 (F). Source methodology + Life Score formula →
Relocation decisions rarely hinge on a single number. A metro with high salaries but a steep cost of living can leave less disposable income than a cheaper market, and a low crime rate matters more to some households than school options or commute times. The composite Life Score blends federal cost, wage, safety, and education data into one comparable figure, but each underlying component is shown separately so you can weight what matters to your own situation. Read every metric against your priorities rather than chasing the highest headline score, and confirm the latest figures on the official source before you commit to a move.
Key Metrics
Housing & Rent
HUD Fair Market Rents for the Merced metropolitan area. Regional housing cost index: 78.6 (100 = national average).
Wages & Employment
Merced has 72,870 total employment with a median salary of $68,749.
Top Occupations by Employment
| Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,320 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $36,350 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $38,200 |
| Cashiers | $35,340 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $44,680 |
Schools & Education
State-level education data for the Merced area from NCES.
Childcare Costs
State-average childcare costs for the Merced area (DOL data).
Life Score Breakdown
Merced's composite Life Score is 44.5/100 (F), computed across 7 dimensions.
LiveAbility Score
View full rankings →Merced ranks #370 out of 387 metros with a LiveAbility Score of 29.6/100 - a composite of 8 quality-of-life dimensions from federal data. Customize the weights to match your priorities →
Merced - dimension scores
Percentile vs all US metros (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Job market
Job market
75 /100
- Climate
Climate
50 /100
- Housing
Housing
31 /100
- Cost of living 28
Cost of living
28 /100
- Air quality 14
Air quality
14 /100
- Safety 12
Safety
12 /100
- Low hazard 11
Low hazard
11 /100
- Schools 7
Schools
7 /100
What this shows Merced's strongest dimensions are job market and climate; its weakest is schools at 7/100. The composite weights cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12%, air & hazard 10%, climate 8%.
Compare Merced To
Explore More Merced Data
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for Merced with these specialized data portals.
💰
Cost of Living
BEA Regional Price Parities for Merced - goods, services, and rent price indexes compared to national average.
PlainCost →
🏠
Fair Market Rents
HUD Fair Market Rents by county near Merced - studio through 4-bedroom, with year-over-year trends.
PlainRent →
🏫
School Quality
NCES school data near Merced - enrollment, student-teacher ratios, Title I status, and chronic absenteeism.
PlainSchools →
💵
Salary Data
BLS occupational wage data for Merced - 830+ occupations with median and mean salaries.
WageDex →
📊
Metro Life Score
Merced composite life score across 7 dimensions, cost, safety, schools, wages, weather, health, and environment.
PlainCompare →
🔓
Crime Data
FBI UCR crime statistics for cities near Merced - violent crime, property crime, and trends.
PlainCrime →
📍
ZIP Code Data
Census demographics, income, and housing data for ZIP codes near Merced.
PlainZIP →
Relocation Guides for Merced
Other Major Metro Areas
Explore relocation data for other major US metropolitan areas.
Compare Merced Side-by-Side With Other Metros
This page is a relocation deep-dive on Merced - cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools, and more. When you're narrowing a shortlist, a side-by-side comparison across the same dimensions is faster. Put Merced on the same scorecard as the metro you're weighing it against and see at a glance which move actually comes out ahead.
Thinking about Merced?
How to use this profile before you commit to a move.
- Pressure-test Merced against the metro you're weighing it against, same dimensions, side by side. Compare metros
- Check what your salary is actually worth here after the 98.3 cost-of-living index. Salary calculator
- Re-rank every US metro by the priorities that matter to you, turn up jobs, turn down climate. City Finder
Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a recommendation. Crime and schools use state-level data where metro-level isn't published. Always visit before you move.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Merced?
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Is Merced a good place to relocate?
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Related
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, HUD, BLS, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) - cost-of-living indices by metro and state. bea.gov/data/regional-price-parities
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - metro-level fair-market rent estimates. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) - wage estimates by metro. bls.gov/oes
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - crime statistics for safety scoring. fbi.gov/ucr
- NCES Common Core of Data - public-school quality indicators, state-level where metro-level isn't published. nces.ed.gov/ccd
- EPA AirNow + Air Quality System (AQS) - air-quality measurements, state-level where metro-level isn't published. epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic + housing characteristics. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau → · Verify with FEMA →
Every figure on PlainRelocate is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.