What it's like to live in Livingston
Livingston is a small city in California with commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Livingston deals with county unemployment above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Livingston compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Livingston
Based on Livingston's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,630
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,600 a year
- 42% of Livingston renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$74,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $37,270
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,315/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,315 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $372,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $372,700 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
10.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Merced County is 10.2%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Merced County (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
335 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1516/100k · Livingston Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 13% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.5 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 43°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 70% below US
11% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pinnacles National Park (67 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Livingston's strongest point is commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,315/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Livingston
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