2025 Compare Cities Overview:
Merced, CA vs Monterey, CA

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Highlights
Are people in Monterey older or younger than people in Merced?
- The Median Age in Monterey is 7.8 years older than in Merced.

Are housing costs cheaper in Monterey or Merced?
- Monterey housing costs are 174.0% more expensive than Merced housing costs.

Which city has a longer commute, Monterey or Merced?
- The average commute for residents of Monterey is 8.3 minutes shorter than it is for residents of Merced.

Things to do in Merced?
Merced, California is a mid-sized city located in Central Valley known for its proximity to Yosemite National Park or Lake Yosemite making it an ideal spot for outdoor recreation.

Things to do in Monterey?
Monterey, CA is an iconic beach city located on the Monterey Peninsula of California's central coast. This picturesque coastal community offers stunning beaches, world-class golf courses, fabulous restaurants and galleries, plus numerous other recreational activities.

 Merced, CAMonterey, CAUnited States
 Population  Unlock30,014329,725,481
 Median Income$52,305  Unlock$69,021
 Median Age  Unlock37.438.4
 Avg. Home Price$373,000  Unlock$338,100
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock3.8%6.0%
 Avg. Commute Time23.56  Unlock26.38
Reviews for Merced    44 Reviews

Merced is totally slept on - you want a little bit of everything CA has to offer, at a fraction of the price of other CA cities? Merced is the place to go. The town  More

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Over 5 years ago

Good place to live. More affordable than most of california. The city is growing and there is alot of business and growth here. Moved from the Bay area years ago and  More

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Great place to live. Lots of progress and changes coming to the city. Great place to raise a family. UC Merced is expanding and businesses are investing. Downtown is  More

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Reviews for Monterey    21 Reviews

Over 8 years ago

The Monterey city area is an excellent place to live and one of the few California locales where it's relatively safe to raise a family. If I could no longer live here I  More

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I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula and had to leave to climb out of poverty. The median income is $35,000 and outside of the military, the jobs are mostly service  More

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My husband and I are just crazy about Monterey. I wonder if we take housing expenses (mortgage or rent) out of the picture, is Monterey still a very expensive city to  More

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