Merced County, California

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.7 | 291,920 people · 5th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Merced County, CA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.7 — 514th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages are low relative to housing costs, business formation lags, and the local economy lacks dynamism. Within California, it ranks 5th of 58 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Merced County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 90.0 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 90.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 87
Rent-to-Income Ratio 96
Business Formation Rate 91
House Price Change (YoY) 82
Housing Cost Burden 84.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 80
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 92
Homeownership Rate 97
Structural Poverty 71.8
Unemployment Rate 99
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 97
Child Poverty Rate 72
Disability Rate 23
Transfer Income Dependency 58
Consumer Credit Distress 57.2
Debt in Collections 54
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 57
Credit Card Delinquency 79
Uninsured Rate 58
Subprime Credit Population 75
Legal Distress 49.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 49

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Merced County
Merced County, CA 67.7 Serious —
Fresno County, CA 67.1 Serious -0.6
Stanislaus County, CA 64.5 Elevated -3.2
Madera County, CA 63.4 Elevated -4.2
Mariposa County, CA 49.9 Normal -17.7
San Benito County, CA 47.2 Normal -20.5
Santa Clara County, CA 27.6 Healthy -40.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Merced County
Milwaukee County, WI 67.6 Serious -0.1
Passaic County, NJ 68.0 Serious +0.3
Genesee County, MI 68.0 Serious +0.4
Camden County, NJ 67.3 Serious -0.4
Lake County, IN 67.2 Serious -0.5

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Merced County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Merced County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer 1-866-442-2529

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Merced County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) 1-800-399-4529
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) 1-800-433-6251
Bay Area Legal Aid 1-800-551-5554
Legal Services of Northern California 1-800-822-9687
California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) 1-800-337-0690
Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) 1-888-245-4257
Legal Aid Society of San Diego 1-877-534-2524
Community Legal Aid SoCal 1-800-834-5001
California Indian Legal Services, Inc. (760) 746-8941
Central California Legal Services (800) 675-8001
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc. (661) 325-5943

Self-Help Resources

California Courts Self-Help — Foreclosure and Mortgage Help Official California courts self-help resource with information on foreclosure procedures, homeowner rights, tenant protections in foreclosure, and links to free legal help.
LawHelpCA — Foreclosure Prevention Statewide legal aid directory connecting Californians with free legal information and local legal aid providers for foreclosure prevention, including links to self-help guides and intake forms.
California Attorney General — Homeowner Bill of Rights Official AG page explaining HBOR protections, including fact sheets on dual-tracking prohibition, single point of contact, and how to file a complaint about servicer violations.
DFPI Mortgage Relief Resources DFPI consumer resources for housing and mortgage issues, including information on PACE financing, foreclosure scam alerts, and how to file complaints against licensees.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Merced County, California?

    Merced County has a County Distress Index score of 67.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 514th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Merced County?

    The primary driver of distress in Merced County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 90.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Merced County compare to neighboring counties?

    Merced County (67.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Fresno County, CA (67.1); Stanislaus County, CA (64.5); Madera County, CA (63.4).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Serious zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Merced County's score of 67.7 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Merced County's CDI score?

    Merced County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Merced County?

    Merced County, California has a population of approximately 291,920 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.