Photo: Publichall · CC BY-SA 3.0860 homes sold in Merced in the last year, at a typical $406K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Merced homes are listed.
Every place Merced homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Merced.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
2% of Merced’s sales are condos, at $129K less than a house
813 houses and 14 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 813 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $250CA $494
- Days to sell
- 47
- Sold over asking
- 30%
- Listings with a price cut
- 33%
typical sale · 14 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $224CA $561
- Days to sell
- 89
- Sold over asking
- 29%
- Listings with a price cut
- 34%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 28 sold, typical $469K
Townhouses: 5 sold, typical $326K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at twice the 2016 price
860 sales in the last year, against 1,097 in 2019 and a low of 681 in 2023. The typical sale went from $205K in 2016 to $406K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $400K buys in Merced
Check a listing against what Merced homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Merced are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Merced’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 860 sales.
If you’re buying in Merced
- Shop in October. It brings about 90 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (31% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 32% of listings have cut their price, against 22% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.7% of the list price on average; 29% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 23% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 47 days.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 104 a month), but April is the most competitive: 39% of April sales close over asking. September and October offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (32%). December has the least competition (30%) but only about 52 new listings.
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| Merced now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 29% | 27% | 60% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 23% | 34% | 58% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 32% | 22% | 15% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.7% | 98.4% | 101.2% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 47 | 39 | 15 | 44 |
219 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.2 times the 2021 low (99) and about the 2017–19 level.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
32% in the last year, against 22% in 2017–19 and 24% across California. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Since 2019, houses are up 48%, condos 92%
A house typically sold for $407K in the last year (813 sales), a condo for $279K (14).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Merced ranks 384th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Merced is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Merced home costs about $2,356 a month
Price: Merced’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Merced’s 0.7% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Merced is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 52.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $406K home, about $2,850 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Merced, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in MercedCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Chowchilla sells for less a square foot; McSwain for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Merced, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced | 860 | $406K | $248 | 29% | 47 |
| Atwater | 193 | $425K | $259 | 33% | 31 |
| Chowchilla | 110 | $357K | $232 | 24% | 75 |
| Winton | 47 | $364K | $265 | 38% | 35 |
| McSwain | 39 | $831K | $321 | 31% | 113 |
| Franklin | 36 | $357K | $268 | 47% | 50 |
| Livingston | 36 | $424K | $265 | 31% | 42 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Merced, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Merced. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Merced with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Merced
What do homes sell for in Merced, CA?
860 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $406K, $248 a square foot. Houses sold for about $407K, condos for about $279K.
Is Merced a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 190 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 77 sold, about 2.5 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.7% of asking on average, and 32% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Merced?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Merced?
About 0.7% of a home’s value a year. On a $406K home that’s near $2,850.
Where can I see homes for sale in Merced?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Merced’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Merced.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).