County FMR · HUD FY2026
Merced County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Merced County, CA - 26% above the US average.
- $1,213
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,503
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -1.1%
- YoY change
- +26%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Merced is the 16th cheapest of 58 counties in California by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #472 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #472
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #16
- cheapest of 58 in California (2BR)
- -26%
- vs the state average
- $48,520
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.5%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (39.3%); nearby California counties range as much as 68% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Merced County, CA. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Merced County, California at $1,213 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,503/mo and a studio is $1,116/mo. This is 26% higher than the national average of $959 and 26% below the California average of $1,647.
Rent decreased1.1% from FY 2025 ($1,227), declining against the trend. A household needs about $48,520/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 45.2% of the 39,508 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in California. Population: 282,290. Population grew 6.1% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than California's statewide growth of +0.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MERCED·COUNTY·CA·CA
Merced County, CA: $1,213/mo 1BR · #472 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA CA
- 1BR-FMR $1,213
- 2BR-FMR $1,503
- RANK-MID #472
- YOY-FLAT -1.1%
- VSUS-HIGH +26%
- VS-ST-LOW -26% CA
- INC-MID 22%
- POP-MAJOR 282K
- PHOTO-NEAR Los Angeles County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,092–$1,334
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Los Angeles ($872 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,071 | $1,116 | +$45 (+4.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,227 | $1,213 | $-14 (-1.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,509 | $1,503 | $-6 (-0.4%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,081 | $2,067 | $-14 (-0.7%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $2,534 | $2,503 | $-31 (-1.2%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Merced County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Merced sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,503 Top 15% higher than 85% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Merced compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other California counties
- Santa Clara
Santa Clara County
$2,982 1BR FMR / mo
- Orange
Orange County
$2,746 1BR FMR / mo
- San Diego
San Diego County
$2,459 1BR FMR / mo
- Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
$2,085 1BR FMR / mo
- Riverside
Riverside County
$1,777 1BR FMR / mo
- San Bernardino
San Bernardino County
$1,777 1BR FMR / mo
- Merced
Merced County
$1,213 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Merced is highlighted. Nearby California counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Santa Clara County ($2,982), Orange County ($2,746), San Diego County ($2,459), Los Angeles County ($2,085), Riverside County ($1,777), San Bernardino County ($1,777), Merced County (this county) ($1,213).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,213/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using California BLS wages?
| Occupation | CA Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $170,910 | 8.5% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $140,330 | 10.4% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $125,240 | 11.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $115,400 | 12.6% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $98,190 | 14.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $96,360 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $76,540 | 19% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $72,960 | 20% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,950 | 24.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $49,640 | 29.3% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $47,790 | 30.5% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $45,460 | 32% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $38,640 | 37.7% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $37,250 | 39.1% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $37,010 | 39.3% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Merced County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Merced (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 55.1% overall, from $782 to $1,213. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.0% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓1.1% | $1,116 | $1,213 | $1,503 |
| FY 2025 ↑5.9% | $1,071 | $1,227 | $1,509 |
| FY 2024 ↑14.0% | $994 | $1,159 | $1,420 |
| FY 2023 ↑11.3% | $854 | $1,017 | $1,243 |
| FY 2022 ↑3.6% | $766 | $914 | $1,120 |
| FY 2021 ↑12.8% | $724 | $882 | $1,067 |
| FY 2020 | $651 | $782 | $947 |
Part of the Merced, CA Metro Area
Merced County is a central county of the Merced, CA metropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Merced County, both outside California so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside CA (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside CA).
Nearby Counties in California
Largest counties by population in California
Showing the 8 largest of 57 other counties in California.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Merced County? ▼
How does Merced County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Merced County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Merced County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Merced County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Merced County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Merced County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Merced County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Merced County? ▼
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.