Merced, CA vs Panama City, FL

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.

Merced

64.3

#1702 nationally

vs

Panama City

66.5

#1538 nationally

Panama City leads in average commute (21.1 min vs 27 min). Panama City leads in crime level (17.8 vs 21.5). Panama City leads in cost of living index (101 vs 121).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Merced, CA Panama City, FL
WhereAtHome Score 64.3 (#1702) 66.5 (#1538)
Population 93,692 35,660
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $397,570 $286,249
Median Household Income $59,233 $57,221
Average Commute 27 min 21.1 min
Walk Score 42 N/A
Crime Level 21.5 17.8
School Rating N/A N/A
Cost of Living Index 121 101
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored R+4.4 R+47.4

Data coverage note: Panama City is missing data for 1 metric that Merced has. Scores with less coverage are penalized — see our methodology.