Marin County vs Merced County
A side-by-side comparison of Marin County and Merced County: population, income, housing, and more.
Marin County and Merced County are counties in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Merced County has the higher population (285,597 vs 258,765 in Marin County). Marin County has the higher median household income ($142,785 vs $65,044 in Merced County). Marin County has the higher median home value ($1,390,000 vs $368,400 in Merced County).
Population, income & housing
| Marin County | Merced County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 258,765 | 285,597 |
| Median age | 47.3 yrs | 31.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $142,785 | $65,044 |
| Median home value | $1,390,000 | $368,400 |
| Median gross rent | $2,584 | $1,284 |
| Housing units | 111,860 | 89,610 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.9% | 53.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60.5% | 14.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 10.8% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Marin County | Merced County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 259,943 → 258,765 (-0.5%) | 271,382 → 285,597 (+5.2%) |
| Median household income | $115,246 → $142,785 (+23.9%) | $53,672 → $65,044 (+21.2%) |
| Median home value | $995,800 → $1,390,000 (+39.6%) | $252,700 → $368,400 (+45.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $2,069 → $2,584 (+24.9%) | $1,021 → $1,284 (+25.8%) |
Marin County
259,943258,765
$115,246$142,785
$995,800$1,390,000
$2,069$2,584
Merced County
271,382285,597
$53,672$65,044
$252,700$368,400
$1,021$1,284
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Marin County | Merced County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.4% | 7.2% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.3% | 21.9% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 10.8% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.5% | 14.6% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 12.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.9% | 11.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.0% | 10.1% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.1% | 7.0% |
| 75 and over | 10.2% | 4.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Marin County | Merced County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 66.6% | 24.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.1% | 2.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 6.1% | 7.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Some other race | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races | 5.2% | 2.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.0% | 62.7% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Marin County | Merced County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 7.3% | 28.1% |
| High school graduate | 10.8% | 28.7% |
| Some college or associate's | 21.5% | 28.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 33.2% | 10.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 27.2% | 4.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Marin County | Merced County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 53.7% | 76.8% |
| Carpooled | 7.7% | 10.1% |
| Public transit | 4.9% | 0.4% |
| Walked | 3.5% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 1.0% | 0.3% |
| Worked from home | 27.9% | 6.4% |
| Other means | 1.3% | 3.6% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Marin County | Merced County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 62.9% | 74.1% |
| 1-unit, attached | 7.7% | 1.6% |
| 2 to 4 units | 8.5% | 7.9% |
| 5 to 19 units | 10.4% | 6.6% |
| 20 or more units | 8.7% | 3.0% |
| Mobile home & other | 1.6% | 6.8% |
Poverty & households
| Marin County | Merced County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.8% | 18.4% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 3.32 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 28 | 31 |
| Median year structure built | 1966 | 1984 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in California
- Most densely populated — counties in California
- Highest median household income — counties in California
- Highest median home value — counties in California
- Most affordable home values — counties in California
- Highest median gross rent — counties in California
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in California
- Oldest by median age — counties in California
- Youngest by median age — counties in California
- Most college-educated — counties in California
- Highest poverty rate — counties in California
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in California
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in California
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in California
- Longest commutes — counties in California
- Shortest commutes — counties in California
- Largest households — counties in California
- Newest housing — counties in California
- Oldest housing — counties in California
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in California
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in California