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US City Data

Merced vs Santa Barbara

Side-by-side comparison

How does Merced, CA compare to Santa Barbara, CA? Merced has a population of 89,766 with a median household income of $59,938, while Santa Barbara has 88,024 residents and a median income of $101,672. Below you'll find a detailed breakdown of demographics, economy, and housing for both cities.

Population & Demographics
MetricMerced, CASanta Barbara, CADifference
Population89,76688,024+2.0%
Median Age29.839.4-24.4%
Foreign Born %22.1%20.4%+8.3%
Economy
MetricMercedSanta BarbaraDifference
Median Income$59,938$101,672-41.0%
Unemployment12.3%4.7%+161.7%
Poverty Rate23%13.1%+75.6%
Bachelor's+18%50.2%-64.1%
Housing
MetricMercedSanta BarbaraDifference
Home Value$347,700$1,466,400-76.3%
Median Rent$1293/mo$2302/mo-43.8%
Housing Units29,20839,015-25.1%

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Merced, CA ProfileSanta Barbara, CA ProfileCost of Living in CaliforniaMore ComparisonsCity Rankings