Chowchilla, CA vs Merced, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricChowchilla, CAMerced, CA
Population19,02091,953
Median Household Income$66,514$63,122
Median Rent$1,178/mo$1,393/mo
Median Home Value$364,000$372,600
Cost of Living (US = 100)10298
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income44.3%52.5%
Poverty Rate19.6%23.9%
Unemployment Rate8% (county)8.3%
Violent Crime Rate /100k374700
Property Crime Rate /100k6912,508
Median AQI5050
Good AQI Days /yr184186
Summer Highs96°F93°F
Winter Lows39°F37°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute25.8 min28.6 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating—3.0 / 5
Students per Teacher23.421.9
College Degree Rate15.6%20.2%
Foreign-Born %16.4%22.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.1%+11.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.