Merced, CA vs Walnut, 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.

Merced

64.3

#1702 nationally

Walnut

63.3

#1785 nationally

Walnut leads in crime level (3.5 vs 21.5). Walnut leads in median household income ($130,444 vs $59,233). Merced leads in cost of living index (121 vs 197).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Merced, CA	Walnut, CA
WhereAtHome Score	64.3 (#1702)	63.3 (#1785)
Population	93,692	27,104
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$397,570	$1,188,533
Median Household Income	$59,233	$130,444
Average Commute	27 min	35.1 min
Walk Score	42	32
Crime Level	21.5	3.5
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	121	197
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+4.4	D+32.9