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Data from U.S. Census Bureau · 2026 · Methodology
CitySpend

Merced, CA

Population: 87,686 (2022) · Small Cities (50K–100K)

D
43/100

Below average — significant fiscal challenges in multiple areas

Total Spending
$6.8B
Per Capita
$77,022
Total Revenue
$613.4M
Total Debt
$0

Spending Breakdown

Other
31.2%$2.1B
Utilities
30.8%$2.1B
Education
21.7%$1.5B
Police
5.7%$386.5M
Housing & Community Development
5.3%$357.9M
Public Welfare
2.3%$157.3M
Fire Protection
1.7%$111.8M
Health
0.6%$40.0M
Parks & Recreation
0.4%$27.4M
Sewerage
0.3%$19.0M

Spending data sourced from the Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances. Per-capita comparisons use the Lincoln Institute's Fiscally Standardized Cities methodology for fair cross-city benchmarking.

Revenue Sources

Property Tax
0.6%$3.6M
Sales Tax
0.6%$3.8M
Income Tax
3.2%$19.6M
Intergovernmental
47.2%$289.8M
Other
79.5%$487.4M

Per Capita Spending by Department

Police$4,408/person
Fire Protection$1,275/person
Parks & Recreation$312/person
Education$16,692/person
Health$456/person

Score Breakdown

Budget Balance & Reserves (25%)10/100
Debt Burden (20%)100/100
Pension Funding (20%)76/100
Spending Efficiency (15%)0/100
Revenue Diversity (10%)0/100
Trend Direction (10%)50/100

Compare Cities

See how Merced stacks up against another city.

vs Los Angeles, CAvs San Diego, CAvs San Jose, CA
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023). Population from American Community Survey.

Other Cities in California

Los Angeles, CA

Pop. 3.9M

D
Total Spending
$331.6B
Per Capita
$85,432

San Diego, CA

Pop. 1.4M

C
Total Spending
$59.9B
Per Capita
$43,306

San Jose, CA

Pop. 1.0M

A
Total Spending
$18.0B
Per Capita
$17,934

San Francisco, CA

Pop. 851K

D
Total Spending
$156.7B
Per Capita
$184,131

Compare Merced With

Los Angeles, CA

Spending: $85,432/person · Grade: D

San Diego, CA

Spending: $43,306/person · Grade: C

San Jose, CA

Spending: $17,934/person · Grade: A

San Francisco, CA

Spending: $184,131/person · Grade: D

Frequently Asked Questions

Merced, CA spends $77,022 per resident, based on total expenditures of $6.8B for a population of 87,686. The city has a Fiscal Health Score of D (43/100).

Merced, CA has total expenditures of $6.8B and total revenue of $613.4M. The city carries $0 in total debt, based on Census Bureau data from 2023.

Merced, CA employs 0 government workers, of which 0 are full-time. The average government salary is $0, with 0.0 employees per 10,000 residents.

Merced, CA has a Fiscal Health Score of D (43/100). This score evaluates budget balance, debt burden, pension funding, spending efficiency, revenue diversity, and 3-year fiscal trajectory compared to peer cities of similar population.

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