Merced, CA vs Phenix City, AL

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

Phenix City

72.3

#910 nationally

Merced leads in walk score (42 vs 24). Phenix City leads in cost of living index (90 vs 121). Phenix City leads in average commute (21.2 min vs 27 min).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Merced, CA	Phenix City, AL
WhereAtHome Score	64.3 (#1702)	72.3 (#910)
Population	93,692	38,441
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$397,570	$212,499
Median Household Income	$59,233	$46,944
Average Commute	27 min	21.2 min
Walk Score	42	24
Crime Level	21.5	21.3
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	121	90
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+4.4	R+27.8