Residential comparison · 13 facts
Atwater, CA vs Merced, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Atwater needs about $88,000 in Merced to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Merced, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $82,000 in Atwater.
A few differences
- Atwater is higher on median household income ($64,472 vs $63,122).
- Atwater is lower on cost of living index (104 vs 107).
- Atwater is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,160/mo vs $1,315/mo).
Atwater vs Merced · facet by facet
| Facet | Atwater, CA | Merced, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $363,400 | $372,600 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,160/mo | $1,315/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 104 | 107 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $64,472 | $63,122 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Atwater, CA · Merced, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Atwater cheaper than Merced?
- Atwater has the lower day-to-day cost index (104 vs 107 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Merced equals $85,000 in Atwater?
- A household earning $85,000 in Atwater needs about $88,000 in Merced to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Merced lifestyle costs about $82,000 in Atwater.