Austin, TX vs Merced, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Merced

64.3

#1702 nationally

Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $59,233). Merced leads in cost of living index (121 vs 129). Austin leads in average commute (26.8 min vs 27 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Merced, CA
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	64.3 (#1702)
Population	967,862	93,692
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$397,570
Median Household Income	$91,461	$59,233
Average Commute	26.8 min	27 min
Walk Score	42	42
Crime Level	Moderate	21.5
School Rating	7.2	N/A
Cost of Living Index	129	121
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	R+4.4