Merced County
County
Coordinates37.19°N 120.71°W
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionSan Joaquin Valley
IncorporatedApril 19, 1855[1]
Named forMerced River, originally El Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced ("River of Our Lady of Mercy" in Spanish).
County seatMerced
Largest cityMerced
Unit prefUS
Area total1979 sq mi
Area land1935 sq mi
Area water44 sq mi
Governing bodyBoard of Supervisors
ChairDaron McDaniel
Vice ChairLloyd Pareira, Jr
Chief executive officerRaul Lomeli Mendez
Population total281202
Population as of2020
Population est297260
Pop est as of2025
Total$11.560 billion (2022)
ZIP code93620, 93635, 93661, 93665, 95301, 95303, 95312, 95315, 95317, 95322, 95324, 95333, 95334, 95388, 95340, 95341, 95343, 95344, 95348, 95365, 95369, 95374[2]
Area code209
Area code209
FIPS code06-047
Congressional district13th
Websitewww.co.merced.ca.us
Elevation max3801 ft
Time zonePacific Time Zone (UTC−8)
Time zone (DST)Pacific Daylight Time (UTC−7)

Merced County (/məːr.ˈsɛd/ mur-SED; Merced, Spanish for "Mercy") is a county located in the northern San Joaquin Valley section of the Central Valley, in the U.S. state of California.

As of the 2020 census, the population was 281,202.[3][4] The county seat is Merced.[5] The county is named after the Merced River.

Merced County comprises the Merced, California Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Modesto-Merced, California Combined Statistical Area. It is located north of Fresno County and Fresno, and southeast of Santa Clara County and San Jose.

History

The county derives its name from the Merced River, or El Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (River of Our Lady of Mercy), named in 1806 by an expedition headed by Gabriel Moraga, which came upon it at the end of a hot dusty ride on the El Camino Viejo across the San Joaquin Valley in Spanish colonial Las Californias Province.

Between 1841 and 1844, during the period when Alta California was a territory of independent Mexico, four Mexican land grants were made in what became Merced County: Rancho Orestimba y Las Garzas, Rancho Panoche de San Juan y Los Carrisolitos, Rancho San Luis Gonzaga, and Rancho Sanjon de Santa Rita

Merced County was formed in 1855 from parts of Mariposa County. Parts of its territory were given to Fresno County in 1856.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,979 square miles (5,130 km2), of which 1,935 square miles (5,010 km2) is land and 44 square miles (110 km2) (2.2%) is water.[6]

National protected areas

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 281,202. The median age was 32.0 years. 28.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.7 males age 18 and over.[7]

The racial makeup of the county was 37.2% White, 3.3% Black or African American, 2.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.4% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 31.7% from some other race, and 17.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 61.8% of the population.[8]

83.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 16.8% lived in rural areas.[9]

There were 83,464 households in the county, of which 45.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[7]

There were 87,783 housing units, of which 4.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 54.7% were owner-occupied and 45.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.9%.[7]

Racial and ethnic composition

Merced County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980[10]Pop 1990[11]Pop 2000[12]Pop 2010[13]Pop 2020[14]% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)89,00696,70185,58581,599style='background: #ffffe6; |68,72966.15%54.20%40.65%31.90%style='background: #ffffe6; |24.44%
Black or African American alone (NH)6,6187,8897,5948,785style='background: #ffffe6; |8,1914.92%4.42%3.61%3.43%style='background: #ffffe6; |2.91%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1,0911,1351,1151,126style='background: #ffffe6; |1,1640.81%0.64%0.53%0.44%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.41%
Asian alone (NH)2,89114,10914,04118,183style='background: #ffffe6; |19,8242.15%7.91%6.67%7.11%style='background: #ffffe6; |7.05%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x [15]x [16]281476style='background: #ffffe6; |6170.13%0.19%0.13%0.19%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.22%
Other race alone (NH)900462410439style='background: #ffffe6; |1,2420.67%0.26%0.19%0.17%style='background: #ffffe6; |0.44%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x [17]x [18]6,0624,700style='background: #ffffe6; |7,578xx2.88%1.84%style='background: #ffffe6; |2.69%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)34,05458,10795,466140,485style='background: #ffffe6; |173,85725.31%32.57%45.34%54.92%style='background: #ffffe6; |61.83%
Total134,560178,403210,554255,793style='background: #ffffe6; |281,202 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2010 census

The 2010 United States census reported that Merced County had a population of 255,793. The racial makeup of Merced County was 148,381 (58.0%) White, 9,926 (3.9%) African American, 3,473 (1.4%) Native American, 18,836 (7.4%) Asian, 583 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 62,665 (24.5%) from other races, and 11,929 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 140,485 persons (54.9%).[19]

Population reported at 2010 United States census
The CountyTotal
Population		WhiteAfrican
American		Native
American		AsianPacific
Islander		other
races		two or
more races		Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Merced County255,793148,3819,9263,47318,83658362,66511,929140,485
Incorporated
city		Total
Population		WhiteAfrican
American		Native
American		AsianPacific
Islander		other
races		two or
more races		Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Atwater28,16818,4101,2253641,416765,3001,37714,808
Dos Palos4,9503,377167623741,0752283,075
Gustine5,5203,87573549581,1912242,769
Livingston13,0585,2631063482,223184,5475539,547
Los Banos35,97220,8461,3545121,16213410,1231,84123,346
Merced78,95841,1774,9581,1539,34217417,8044,35039,140
Census-designated
place		Total
Population		WhiteAfrican
American		Native
American		AsianPacific
Islander		other
races		two or
more races		Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
Ballico4062372311212823210
Bear Creek290156421409321170
Cressey394253131519526195
Delhi10,7555,655118157405303,9304607,706
Dos Palos Y3232251810826197
El Nido33016207901475245
Franklin6,1493,45527377931121,0723293,250
Hilmar-Irwin5,1974,4751523871439157916
Le Grand1,6598691935171659591,357
McSwain4,1713,196563428294221721,081
Planada4,5841,68122234612,725864,347
Santa Nella1,380832222531043337968
Snelling231206036013333
South Dos Palos1,620809135213610552571,262
Stevinson3132284000738133
Tuttle1037760609531
University of California, Merced000000000
Volta2462017014294132
Winton10,6135,69617514070183,4554387,566
Other
unincorporated areas		Total
Population		WhiteAfrican
American		Native
American		AsianPacific
Islander		other
races		two or
more races		Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)40,40327,0201,1834191,962908,2691,46018,001

2000

As of the census[20] of 2000, there were 210,554 people, 63,815 households, and 49,775 families residing in the county. The population density was 109 /mi2. There were 68,373 housing units at an average density of 36 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 56.2% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 6.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 26.1% from other races, and 5.7% from two or more races. 45.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 6.6% were of Portuguese and 6.0% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 55.1% spoke English, 35.3% Spanish, 3.2% Hmong, 2.9% Portuguese and 1.0% Punjabi as their first language.

There were 63,815 households, out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.25 and the average family size was 3.69.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 34.5% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,532, and the median income for a family was $38,009. Males had a median income of $31,721 versus $23,911 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,257. About 16.9% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2008, according to the Lao Family Community, a nonprofit organization, about 8,000 Hmong lived in Merced County.[21]

Government and policing

County government

Merced County is a California Constitution defined general law county and is governed by an elected Board of Supervisors. The Board consists of five members, elected by districts, who serve four-year staggered terms.[22]

Merced County Sheriff's Office

The Merced County Sheriff's Office provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner service for the entire county. It provides patrol, detective, and other police services for the unincorporated parts of the county. The main sheriff station and offices are at Merced. There are two sheriff's substations. A Grand Jury report in 2010 stated that the Sheriff processed 12,746 average jail bookings per year with an average daily jail population of 1,123.[23]

Municipal police departments

Municipal police departments in the county are: Merced, population 83,000; Los Banos, population 38,000; Atwater, population 30,000; Livingston, population 13,000; Gustine, population 6,000; Dos Palos, population 5,500.

State and federal representation

In the United States House of Representatives, Merced County is in .[24]

In the California State Senate, Merced County is divided between , and . In the California State Assembly, the county is divided between , and .[25]

Politics

Voter registration statistics

Population and registered voters
Total population[26]253,606
  Registered voters[27][note 1]98,87439.0%
    Democratic[27]43,98144.5%
    Republican[27]32,76733.1%
    Democratic–Republican spread[27]+11,214+11.4%
    Independent[27]3,0163.1%
    Green[27]5680.6%
    Libertarian[27]4830.5%
    Peace and Freedom[27]3180.3%
    Americans Elect[27]20.0%
    Other[27]1800.2%
    No party preference[27]17,55917.8%

Cities by population and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration
CityPopulation[26]Registered voters[27]
[note 1]		Democratic[27]Republican[27]D–R spread[27]Other[27]No party preference[27]
Atwater27,92241.0%39.4%37.4%+2.0%8.2%18.3%
Dos Palos4,94038.0%44.4%35.0%+9.4%9.9%14.9%
Gustine5,48438.3%48.2%30.3%+17.9%7.7%17.0%
Livingston12,89934.6%62.2%15.9%+46.3%4.9%18.9%
Los Banos35,25237.6%50.1%27.6%+22.5%7.8%17.7%
Merced78,11141.0%46.4%30.2%+16.2%8.2%18.3%

Overview

Merced County has been somewhat of a bellwether county for presidential elections. Since 1916, it has voted for the winner in each election except in 1956 when it voted for Adlai Stevenson II instead of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1968 when it voted for Hubert Humphrey instead of Richard Nixon, and 2016 when it voted for Hillary Clinton instead of Donald Trump. In 2024, Donald Trump won the county in a slim victory, continuing the county's bellwether county status.[28]

Trump's win in Merced County made it one of ten counties in California to flip from Biden to Trump, as well as making Merced one of six counties to vote for the Republican presidential candidate for the first time in 20 years since George W. Bush in 2004. Democrat Barack Obama won a majority in the county in both 2008 and 2012. Before that, Republican George W. Bush won a majority in the county in both 2000 and 2004.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 20, 2008, there were 97,179 registered voters in Merced County.[citation needed] Of those, 44,704 (46.0%) are registered Democratic, 35,955 (37.0%) are registered Republican, 3,090 (3.2%) are registered with other political parties, and 13,430 (13.8%) declined to state a political party. Atwater and the county's unincorporated areas have Republican plurality registration advantages. All of the other cities and towns in the county have Democratic pluralities or majorities in voter registration. Merced County has seen a rightward tilt in recent years, voting "Yes" in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election despite voting for Governor Gavin Newsom by a margin of 4% in 2018. The county then voted for Republican nominee Brian Dahle in 2022 over Newsom, as well as for all Republican nominees for statewide office.

Merced County voted in favor of Proposition 8 in 2008 (which banned same-sex marriage by constitutional amendment) and voted against Proposition 3 in 2024 (which repealed Proposition 8). The level of support in the county for retaining the ban shrank from 70.8% in 2008 to 50.2% in 2024.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Population and crime rates
Population[26]253,606
Violent crime[29]1,6586.54
  Homicide[29]260.10
  Forcible rape[29]780.31
  Robbery[29]2761.09
  Aggravated assault[29]1,2785.04
Property crime[29]4,39017.31
  Burglary[29]2,3189.14
  Larceny-theft[29][30]5,08920.07
  Motor vehicle theft[29]9033.56
Arson[29]900.35

Cities by population and crime rates

Cities by population and crime rates
CityPopulation[31]Violent crimes[31]Violent crime rate
per 1,000 persons		Property crimes[31]Property crime rate
per 1,000 persons
Atwater28,8911806.231,40048.46
Dos Palos5,0795911.6216231.90
Gustine5,663244.2412021.19
Livingston13,394745.5230622.85
Los Banos36,8971423.851,21032.79
Merced80,97681010.004,11150.77

Economy

According to America's Labor Market Information System 2014 report,[32] the companies with the largest employment in Merced are, in alphabetical order:

Merced County grows 90% of California's sweet potato crop,[33] due in part to the efforts of John Buttencourt Avila, called "the father of the sweet potato industry".

Transportation

Major highways

Public transportation

Airports

Merced Regional Airport, located 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of downtown Merced, provides passenger air service. General aviation airports in the county include Castle Airport, Gustine Airport, and Los Banos Municipal Airport.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Merced County.[34]

† county seat

RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation (2020 census)
1† MercedCity86,333
2Los BanosCity45,532
3AtwaterCity31,970
4LivingstonCity14,172
5WintonCDP11,709
6DelhiCDP10,656
7Franklin-BeachwoodCDP6,919
8GustineCity6,110
9Dos PalosCity5,798
10Hilmar-IrwinCDP5,164
11McSwainCDP4,480
12PlanadaCDP4,164
13Santa NellaCDP2,211
14South Dos PalosCDP1,747
15Le GrandCDP1,592
16-TCresseyCDP366
16-TVoltaCDP366
18BallicoCDP347
19El NidoCDP331
20Dos Palos YCDP310
21StevinsonCDP275
22Bear CreekCDP273
23SnellingCDP238
24TuttleCDP102
25University of California MercedCDP0

Education

School districts include:[35]

K-12:

Secondary:

Elementary:

University of California Merced is in the county.

Places of interest

The former Castle Air Force Base and the United States Penitentiary, Atwater are located in an unincorporated area near Atwater.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References

  1. ^ Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  2. ^ "Merced County, CA Zip Codes". Zip-Codes.com. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  3. ^ "Merced County, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  4. ^ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/mercedcountycalifornia/NES010223
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  7. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  8. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  9. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  10. ^ "California: 1980, General Social and Economic Characteristics, Part 1 - Table 59: Persons by Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex". United States Census Bureau
  11. ^ "California: 1990, Part 1 - Table 5: Race and Hispanic Origin". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Merced County, California". United States Census Bureau
  13. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Merced County, California". United States Census Bureau
  14. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Merced County, California". United States Census Bureau
  15. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  16. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  17. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  18. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  19. ^
  20. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  21. ^ Oppenheim, Jamie. "Hmong youth not preserving traditions, professor says Archived June 8, 2010 at the Wayback Machine." Monday March 29, 2010. Retrieved on September 20, 2010.
  22. ^ "Board of Supervisors". Merced County, CA. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  23. ^ "Grand Jury report 2010 website"[full citation needed]
  24. ^ Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  25. ^ "Final Maps | California Citizens Redistricting Commission". Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  26. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  27. ^ California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived July 27, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  28. ^ "Election Night Reporting". results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  29. ^ Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  30. ^ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
  31. ^ United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  32. ^ "Major Employers in California". www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  33. ^ "Farmers Markets: Stokes Purple is a sweet potato of mystery", Los Angeles Times, 2 November 2012
  34. ^ "2020 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  35. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Merced County, CA". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022. - text list

Further reading

  • A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Merced, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa, California. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1892.