Photo: Publichall · CC BY-SA 3.0How is Merced run?
Merced’s city government spent $116 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,314 per resident. Water and other utilities ($10.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Merced is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
About $1,314 per resident a year, or $3.60 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 24%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,314 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Merced’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,314 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,263, and the middle half spent $889–$1,772. Merced spent more than 52% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($28.2 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Merced itself left out).
No trend yet
Merced reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $2,617 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.70% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Merced’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Merced’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Merced →
Who’s in charge in Merced
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Merced’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofmerced.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 193 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (88,235).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Merced Union High School District
Merced’s high school district, shared with Atwater, Livingston. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $18,331 per pupil, $10,169 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.
Merced City Elementary School District · $17,666 per pupil
Weaver Union Elementary School District · $18,202 per pupil
McSwain Union Elementary School District · $14,035 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Merced’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Merced alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Merced County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican50.6%43,003 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.8%39,769 votesOthers: 2.6% (2,222 votes).
Most votes in Merced County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Merced lies in Merced County. Every 2024 race in Merced County is on the county’s page.
Merced County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Merced.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cityofmerced.gov ↗
- 2California AssemblyState representatives
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Merced compares with the towns next door
Merced spent $1,314 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Merced | $1,314 | $2,617 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Merced’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Merced’s government
How much does Merced spend per resident?
About $1,314 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,314 was more than 52% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Merced?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,617 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.70% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofmerced.gov.
Who runs Merced’s government?
See cityofmerced.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Merced yet.
How did Merced vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Merced alone. Merced County, where 100% of Merced lies, voted Trump 50.6%, Harris 46.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Merced?
458 full-time and 62 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3.4M (about $40.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Merced in the state legislature?
State Senate District 14 (Anna Caballero) and Assembly District 27 (Esmeralda Soria). The Assembly district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Merced’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →