What percentage of people rent in Merced, CA?

Name: Renters and owners in Merced, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

54.1% (±2.2 points) of the occupied homes in Merced, CA are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 15,122 renting households against 12,828 that own their home.

In Merced, the share of households that rent went from 58.7% in 2015–2019 to 54.1% in 2020–2024 (−4.6 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 54.1% (±2.2 points)
Renting households: 15,122 (±727)
Median renter income: $47,488 (±$2,446)

Who rents and who owns in Merced

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Merced	Merced County	California	United States
Renter-occupied share	54.1% (±2.2 points)	46.0% (±1.3 points)	44.1% (±0.2 points)	34.8%
Renting households	15,122 (±727)	39,581 (±1,183)	5,980,523 (±22,985)	45,017,354
Owning households	12,828 (±732)	46,474 (±1,205)	7,567,568 (±37,334)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	3.2 (±0.1)	3.2 (±0.1)	2.7 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	3.3 (±0.1)	3.4 (±0.1)	3.0 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$47,488 (±$2,446)	$50,208 (±$2,483)	$71,186 (±$298)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$87,868 (±$6,170)	$85,205 (±$2,553)	$127,456 (±$424)	$100,009

In Merced, the renter share is higher than in Merced County (46.0%).

It is also higher than in California (44.1%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

In Merced County, Merced ranks 2 of 15 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 129 of 1,076.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in Merced has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	58.7% (±1.9 points)	54.1% (±2.2 points)	−4.6 percentage points	Measurable decrease
Median gross rent	$1,005 (±$33)	$1,393 (±$43)	+38.6%	Up after inflation
Median household income	$45,232 (±$2,382)	$63,122 (±$3,879)	+39.6%	Up after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near Merced

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Merced
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
Merced	—	54.1% (±2.2 points)	—
Franklin	3.3 mi	21.0% (±7.7 points)	Lower
McSwain	6.0 mi	26.2% (±9.8 points)	Lower
Atwater	7.4 mi	47.9% (±4.0 points)	Lower
Planada	8.7 mi	50.4% (±10.9 points)	Not measurably different
Winton	9.4 mi	50.1% (±7.4 points)	Not measurably different
Le Grand	13 mi	38.3% (±9.8 points)	Lower
Livingston	15 mi	37.4% (±6.6 points)	Lower
Chowchilla	18 mi	42.7% (±6.3 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Franklin, CA (21.0%), McSwain, CA (26.2%), Atwater, CA (47.9%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across Merced County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1	South Dos Palos	59.5% (±20.6 points)
2	Merced	54.1% (±2.2 points)
3	Planada	50.4% (±10.9 points)
4	Winton	50.1% (±7.4 points)
5	Atwater	47.9% (±4.0 points)
6	Hilmar-Irwin	45.6% (±9.8 points)
7	Gustine	43.4% (±13.7 points)
8	Los Banos	40.2% (±4.2 points)

Showing 8 of 15 places in Merced County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Merced

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Questions about Merced

How many renters are there in Merced?

Merced has an estimated 15,122 (±727) renting households, 54.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in Merced?

In Merced, the share of households that rent went from 58.7% in 2015–2019 to 54.1% in 2020–2024 (−4.6 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

How big are renting households in Merced?

A renting household in Merced has 3.2 people on average, against 3.3 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in Merced?

The median renting household in Merced, CA has an income of $47,488 (±$2,446) a year, against $87,868 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Merced city, California (place:46898, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.