| ZIP Codes: | 22 ZIP Codes (18 Standard, 4 PO Box, 0 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Codes: | 209 / 350 |
| Timezone: | Pacific (GMT -08:00) |
| Local Time: | 2:11:29 PM |
| Population: | 288,279 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 06047 |
| CBSA: | Merced, CA |
| Land Area: | 1,939 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 17 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 37.2803, -120.6118 |
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288,279 residents live across 22 ZIPs covering 1,939 sq mi, served by 18 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 260,555 to 288,279 from 2014 to 2024 — a +10.6% change. 9 ZIPs gained residents, 10 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 95324 (Hilmar, $76,316 median) and poorest ZIP 95365 (Planada, $39,741) are 31.3 miles apart — a 1.9× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 1.7× across this county — from $266,400 in 95365 (Planada) to $463,300 in 95374 (Stevinson).
Density varies 99× across the county — from 14 people/sq mi in 95333 (Le Grand) to 1,384 in 95348 (Merced).
Educational attainment ranges from 3.5% bachelor's+ in 95365 (Planada) to 26.8% in 95340 (Merced) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within California, this is the #23 most populous of 58 counties and ranks #44 for median household income with the #8 fastest decade growth .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $65,817 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
15.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (26,420 of 173,083 reporting). The most-educated ZIPs cluster around Merced.
18 Standard delivery, 4 PO Box only, 0 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93635 | Los Banos | Standard | 50,149 | $67,129 | 400.2 | 27.2% |
| 95301 | Atwater | Standard | 43,009 | $68,349 | 72.7 | 13.2% |
| 95340 | Merced | Standard | 38,303 | $71,193 | 105.6 | 10.2% |
| 95348 | Merced | Standard | 37,540 | $64,944 | 27.1 | 19.6% |
| 95341 | Merced | Standard | 36,385 | $57,342 | 146.5 | 7.8% |
| 95334 | Livingston | Standard | 17,363 | $76,277 | 65.0 | 6.3% |
| 95315 | Delhi | Standard | 13,598 | $71,352 | 18.0 | 9.8% |
| 95388 | Winton | Standard | 13,319 | $57,493 | 43.6 | -7.6% |
| 93620 | Dos Palos | Standard | 9,927 | $45,456 | 211.2 | -1.0% |
| 95322 | Gustine | Standard | 9,506 | $65,761 | 239.4 | 8.9% |
| 95324 | Hilmar | Standard | 7,636 | $76,316 | 40.8 | -1.3% |
| 95365 | Planada | Standard | 3,963 | $39,741 | 4.2 | -17.4% |
| 95333 | Le Grand | Standard | 2,963 | $62,813 | 212.8 | -3.3% |
| 95374 | Stevinson | Standard | 1,921 | $57,538 | 71.6 | 4.0% |
| 95317 | El Nido | Standard | 827 | $57,153 | 49.7 | -19.9% |
| 95303 | Ballico | Standard | 784 | $144,375 | 29.2 | -23.1% |
| 95369 | Snelling | Standard | 740 | $75,750 | 199.6 | -24.3% |
| 95312 | Cressey | PO Box | 232 | $80,625 | 0.9 | -15.9% |
| 93665 | South Dos Palos | PO Box | 114 | — | 0.2 | -81.4% |
| 95343 | Merced | Standard | — | — | 0.7 | — |
| 93661 | Santa Rita Park | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |
| 95344 | Merced | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |