Housing Report for Merced

When comparing areas across the State of California, Merced places 4 of the 26 metro areas in terms of growth of new housing structures between 2001 and 2005. The MSA stands 47 of 361, comparing the percentage change in residential real estate in other US MSAs.

Merced has a very high proportion of high-valued homes. For the year 2005, the American Community Survey counted that 16.1 percent of the areas residential property was valued over $500k.

According to the data, there is a limited amount of real estate that is affordable in Merced, California. In 2005, only 8.2 percent of housing was valued under $125k.

The residential real estate values in Merced, California have increased very sharply from the real estate values reported in 2000. The valuations have increased by $194,200, or 174.8 percent, from their 2000 median values of $111,100.

Merced recorded median owner-occupied home value in the year 2005 of $305,300, published by the American Community Survey. This is less than the overall California 2005 home value of $477,700 and greater than median home value of $167,500 for the rest of the nation in that year.

In Merced, the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division accounted for a total of 77,571 housing units in the year 2005. This represents a medium-high growth level in the number housing units, adding all together 7,638 residential structures since 2001, a change of 10.9 percent.

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Employment Report for Merced, California -- Annual 2005 Industry Summary

Management of companies and enterprises has a largest number of employees per establishment in Merced MSA. In the region, the industry averages 102 jobs per establishment, which is greater than the US industry average of 40 and greater than the California typical size of 54 for the Management of companies and enterprises industry.

In Merced, Manufacturing, Retail Trade, and the Health care and social assistance sectors, in terms of total employment, are the largest. Manufacturing is the largest employment industry and makes up 19.7 percent of all the jobs in the Metropolitain Area. This makes up 10,813 individuals. The Retail Trade and Health care and social assistance industries total 13.6 and 9.5 percent of all employment.

In Merced, Manufacturing, Other services, except public administration and Management of companies and enterprises industries, in terms of United States location quotient, are the most dominant in the region. The Manufacturing sector in the county has a location quotient of 1.54. The percent of employment in the Manufacturing industry is 1.54 times greater than the national average, signifying that Merced may specialize, or be an exporter of Manufacturing.

The Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector has decreased the most in local industry presence in the Merced Metro Area, from the year 2001 to 2005, accounting for 21.7 percent of total jobs in the year 2001 to 0 percent in 2005.

A well-paying sector in Merced is the management of companies and enterprises sector paying an annual wage of $50,465. Throughout the MSA since the year 2001, the annual average pay of the industry has grown by 4.3 percent or $2,058. The State of California shows a similar employment climate in the management of companies and enterprises sector, standing near the top of industries in term of the average annual pay of 2004.

Information in the period of 2001 to 2005 had the largest increase in employment in Merced, moving a total of 260.3 percent. This is greater than the rate of industry employment change in the United States of -14.9 percent. The State of California felt a shift in employment in the industry of -11.1 percent, during the period of 2001 to 2005.





Datasource: U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW).