2025 Compare Cities Job Market:
Ridgecrest, CA vs Merced, CA

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Highlights
- Job Growth in Merced has been positive.
- Merced has 5.2% less unemployment than Ridgecrest.
- Merced job growth has increased by 6.0% in the past 10 years.
 Ridgecrest, CAMerced, CAUnited States
 Current Unemployment  Unlock9.3%6.0%
 Future Job Growth26.0%  Unlock33.5%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock-5.2%-6.2%
 3 Yr. Job Growth-4.2%  Unlock-3.6%
 5 Yr. Job Growth  Unlock-2.1%-0.7%
 10 Yr. Job Growth5.1%  Unlock6.3%
Reviews for Ridgecrest    7 Reviews

For context, I grew up in Ridgecrest and moved away after graduating high school. I have since lived in LA and the Bay Area but I visit RC often. RC is in the high  More

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Ridgecrest and Kern County are red state bastions in a land of blue voting counties. If you want a concealed weapons permit, you'll get it. Want to own any firearm  More

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Over 13 years ago

The hardest thing to get used to in Ridgecrest is the weather. It can get quite windy. And hot. 115 hot. But it's a dry heat! It does cool off in the evening, and it  More

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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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