The Good and Bad of Merced
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6/10/2012
I have lived here in Merced for my entire life of 31 years and it certainly has changed over the years. Our city was listed in Forbes for being one of the most miserable cities to reside in; this has some truth to it, but to an extent. Like any city, there's good and bad everywhere. There certainly are neighborhoods that are crime and gang-ridden. But then we also have very lovely, quiet, middle-class neighborhoods, such as the area near Lake Yosemite, Bear Creek, East 21st Street, and rural areas of Merced, that are very pleasant to live. I would highly recommend buying/renting in those areas if you are planning to move here. There's a mixture of cultures here, but it's predominately Hispanic. Unemployment is high, and the jobs that are available are mostly in the health-care (LVN, CNA, Dental/Medical Assistant), retail, fast-food, and blue-collar industry. We have a University of California here, but unfortunately there aren't any jobs for these graduates, and so they end up moving elsewhere.
SV | Merced, CA