Gadsden, AL 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.

Gadsden

77.2

#267 nationally

Merced

64.3

#1702 nationally

Merced leads in walk score (42 vs 25). Merced leads in median household income ($59,233 vs $39,696). Gadsden leads in cost of living index (82 vs 121).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Gadsden, AL	Merced, CA
WhereAtHome Score	77.2 (#267)	64.3 (#1702)
Population	33,229	93,692
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$116,676	$397,570
Median Household Income	$39,696	$59,233
Average Commute	19.4 min	27 min
Walk Score	25	42
Crime Level	15.9	21.5
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	82	121
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+55.7	R+4.4