Merced County, CA Average Home Price (2026)
The average home price in Merced County, California is about $414,500 (the 2026 median across 18 ZIP codes, at ~$275/sq ft) — 40% more affordable than the California median and 43% more expensive than the typical U.S. home.
How Merced County compares
Merced County is relatively expensive for housing nationally: its typical home costs $414,500 against $688,000 for California and $289,000 for the U.S. Within the county, ZIP-level values run from about $274,000 to $764,000.
| Area | Typical value | $ / sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Merced County | $414,500 | $275 |
| California | $688,000 | $451 |
| United States | $289,000 | $193 |
Cities in Merced County
Cities with their own home-value page, largest first:
Merced County home prices by ZIP code
The 15 most valuable ZIP codes in Merced County (of 18 with data):
| ZIP code | Typical value | $ / sq ft | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95303 Ballico | $764,000 | $251 | +84% |
| 95374 Stevinson | $645,000 | $546 | +56% |
| 95324 Hilmar | $482,000 | $325 | +16% |
| 95317 El Nido | $473,000 | $249 | +14% |
| 93635 Los Banos | $457,000 | $274 | +10% |
| 95312 Cressey | $429,000 | $226 | +3% |
| 95334 Livingston | $420,000 | $305 | +1% |
| 95301 Atwater | $418,000 | $267 | +1% |
| 95322 Gustine | $417,000 | $278 | +1% |
| 95315 Delhi | $412,000 | $311 | -1% |
| 95348 Merced | $411,000 | $254 | -1% |
| 95340 Merced | $401,000 | $253 | -3% |
| 93620 Dos Palos | $361,000 | $275 | -13% |
| 95341 Merced | $361,000 | $270 | -13% |
| 95388 Winton | $361,000 | $277 | -13% |
Home value appreciation in Merced County
Home prices in Merced County have risen about 105% over the last 10 years (≈7.4% a year) and +28.7% over 20 years, according to the FHFA house price index through 2025. The most recent year came in at +0.8% — roughly flat. A home worth $414,500 today was worth roughly $202,491 ten years ago.
See where that trend takes a specific home with the home appreciation calculator — statewide, California is +80.3% over the same 10 years. Past appreciation is a track record, not a forecast; local prices can fall.
Calculators for Merced County
Run the numbers for Merced County with the local rates already filled in — change any input to test your own situation.
Salary needed to buy a home in Merced County
To buy the typical $414,500 home in Merced County with 20% down, you need a household income of roughly $113,000 a year (about $2,630 a month for the mortgage, taxes, and insurance). With 10% down the bar rises to about $134,000, because the loan is bigger and mortgage insurance kicks in.
| Down payment | Cash down | Monthly payment | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% (+PMI) | $20,700 | $3,270/mo | $140,000/yr |
| 10% (+PMI) | $41,500 | $3,130/mo | $134,000/yr |
| 20% | $82,900 | $2,630/mo | $113,000/yr |
Assumes a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.5%, property tax at 1.1% and insurance at 0.45% of value per year, PMI of 0.75% on loans with less than 20% down, and the standard 28% housing-to-income rule. Your rate, taxes, and HOA will move these — run your own numbers in the mortgage calculator.
What your budget buys in Merced County
At about $275 per square foot, here is roughly how much home different budgets get you in Merced County:
| Budget | Approx. size | What that looks like locally |
|---|---|---|
| $200k | 730 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $250k | 910 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $300k | 1090 sq ft | below the local median — condos, smaller or older homes |
| $400k | 1450 sq ft | around the typical home here |
| $500k | 1820 sq ft | around the typical home here |
Wondering where that budget goes further? The relocation calculator ranks hundreds of U.S. cities by what the same money buys — it opens filtered to California.
Estimate a specific home in Merced County
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Merced County home prices: frequently asked
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Browse all California cities and counties, or look up price per square foot by ZIP code nationwide.
Directional estimates from public market data (Realtor.com & Zillow research; FHFA house price index; Census ZIP-to-county relationships), not appraisals.