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US City Data

Santa Barbara vs Merced

Side-by-side comparison

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

Population & Demographics
MetricSanta Barbara, CAMerced, CADifference
Population88,02489,766-1.9%
Median Age39.429.8+32.2%
Foreign Born %20.4%22.1%-7.7%
Economy
MetricSanta BarbaraMercedDifference
Median Income$101,672$59,938+69.6%
Unemployment4.7%12.3%-61.8%
Poverty Rate13.1%23%-43.0%
Bachelor's+50.2%18%+178.9%
Housing
MetricSanta BarbaraMercedDifference
Home Value$1,466,400$347,700+321.7%
Median Rent$2302/mo$1293/mo+78.0%
Housing Units39,01529,208+33.6%

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Santa Barbara, CA ProfileMerced, CA ProfileCost of Living in CaliforniaMore ComparisonsCity Rankings