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Merced County, California








Merced County, California


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County in California, United States

































































































Merced County, California

County

County of Merced



Merced Theatre.JPG

San Luis Reservoir 1.jpg



UC Merced at night.jpg

Boeing B-29 SuperfortressCAM.jpg



Images, from top down, left to right: The historic Merced Theatre, San Luis Reservoir, UC Merced, The B-29A Super Fortress exhibit at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater



Official seal of Merced County, California
Seal


Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California

California's location in the United States
California's location in the United States

Coordinates: 37°11′N 120°43′W / 37.19°N 120.71°W / 37.19; -120.71Coordinates: 37°11′N 120°43′W / 37.19°N 120.71°W / 37.19; -120.71
Country
 United States
State
 California
Region
San Joaquin Valley
Incorporated
April 19, 1855[1]
Named for
Merced River, originally El Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced ("River of Our Lady of Mercy" in Spanish).
County seat
Merced
Government
 • County Executive Officer
James L. Brown [2]
Area
 • Total
1,979 sq mi (5,130 km2)
 • Land
1,935 sq mi (5,010 km2)
 • Water
44 sq mi (110 km2)
Highest elevation[3]

3,801 ft (1,159 m)
Population (April 1, 2010)[4]
 • Total
255,793
 • Estimate (2016)[5]

268,672
 • Density
130/sq mi (50/km2)
Time zone
UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)
UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
ZIP code
93620, 93635, 93661, 93665, 95301, 95303, 95312, 95315, 95317, 95322. 95324, 95333, 95334, 95388, 95340, 95341, 95343, 95344, 95348, 95365. 95369, 95374[6]
Area code
209

FIPS code

06-047

GNIS feature ID

277288
Website
www.co.merced.ca.us

Merced County (/mərˈsɛd/ mər-SED), is a county located in the northern San Joaquin Valley section of the Central Valley, in the U.S. state of California.


As of the 2010 census, the population was 255,793.[4] The county seat is Merced.[7] The county is named after the Merced River.


Merced County comprises the Merced, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Modesto-Merced, CA Combined Statistical Area. It is located north of Fresno County and Fresno, and southeast of Santa Clara County and San Jose.




Contents






  • 1 History


  • 2 Geography


    • 2.1 National protected areas




  • 3 Demographics


    • 3.1 2011


      • 3.1.1 Places by population, race, and income




    • 3.2 2010


    • 3.3 2000




  • 4 Government and policing


    • 4.1 County Government


    • 4.2 Merced County Sheriff


    • 4.3 Municipal police departments


    • 4.4 State and federal representation




  • 5 Politics


    • 5.1 Voter registration statistics


      • 5.1.1 Cities by population and voter registration




    • 5.2 Overview




  • 6 Crime


    • 6.1 Cities by population and crime rates




  • 7 Economy


  • 8 Transportation


    • 8.1 Major highways


    • 8.2 Public transportation


    • 8.3 Airports




  • 9 Communities


    • 9.1 Cities


    • 9.2 Census-designated places


    • 9.3 Population ranking




  • 10 Places of interest


  • 11 See also


  • 12 Notes


  • 13 References


  • 14 Further reading


  • 15 External links





History[edit]


The county derives its name from the Merced River, or El Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (River of Our Lady of Mercy), named in 1806 by an expedition headed by Gabriel Moraga, which came upon it at the end of a hot dusty ride on the El Camino Viejo across the San Joaquin Valley in Spanish colonial Las Californias Province.


Between 1841 and 1844, during the period when Alta California was a territory of independent Mexico, four Mexican land grants were made in what became Merced County: Rancho Orestimba y Las Garzas, Rancho Panoche de San Juan y Los Carrisolitos, Rancho San Luis Gonzaga, and Rancho Sanjon de Santa Rita


Merced County was formed in 1855 from parts of Mariposa County. Parts of its territory were given to Fresno County in 1856.



Geography[edit]


According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,979 square miles (5,130 km2), of which 1,935 square miles (5,010 km2) is land and 44 square miles (110 km2) (2.2%) is water.[8]



National protected areas[edit]



  • Merced National Wildlife Refuge

  • San Luis National Wildlife Refuge



Demographics[edit]



2011[edit]






























































Places by population, race, and income[edit]




































































































































































































































































































2010[edit]

















































































































Historical population
Census Pop.

1860 1,141
1870 2,807 146.0%
1880 5,656 101.5%
1890 8,085 42.9%
1900 9,215 14.0%
1910 15,148 64.4%
1920 24,579 62.3%
1930 36,748 49.5%
1940 46,988 27.9%
1950 69,780 48.5%
1960 90,446 29.6%
1970 104,629 15.7%
1980 134,560 28.6%
1990 178,403 32.6%
2000 210,554 18.0%
2010 255,793 21.5%
Est. 2017 272,673 [5] 6.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]
1790–1960[16] 1900–1990[17]
1990–2000[18] 2010–2015[4]

The 2010 United States Census reported that Merced County had a population of 255,793. The racial makeup of Merced County was 148,381 (58.0%) White, 9,926 (3.9%) African American, 3,473 (1.4%) Native American, 18,836 (7.4%) Asian, 583 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 62,665 (24.5%) from other races, and 11,929 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 140,485 persons (54.9%).[19]


























































































































































































































































































































































































2000[edit]


As of the census[20] of 2000, there were 210,554 people, 63,815 households, and 49,775 families residing in the county. The population density was 109 people per square mile (42/km²). There were 68,373 housing units at an average density of 36 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 56.2% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 1.2% Native American, 6.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 26.1% from other races, and 5.7% from two or more races. 45.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 6.6% were of Portuguese and 6.0% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 55.1% spoke English, 35.3% Spanish, 3.2% Hmong, 2.9% Portuguese and 1.0% Punjabi as their first language.


There were 63,815 households out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.25 and the average family size was 3.69.


In the county, the population was spread out with 34.5% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.


The median income for a household in the county was $35,532, and the median income for a family was $38,009. Males had a median income of $31,721 versus $23,911 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,257. About 16.9% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.


As of 2008, according to the Lao Family Community, a nonprofit organization, about 8,000 Hmong lived in Merced County.[21]



Government and policing[edit]



County Government[edit]


Merced County is a California Constitution defined general law county and is governed by an elected Board of Supervisors. The Board consists of five members, elected by districts, who serve four-year staggered terms.[22]



Merced County Sheriff[edit]


The Merced County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner service for the entire county. It provides patrol, detective, and other police services for the unincorporated parts of the county. The main sheriff station and offices are at Merced. There are two sheriff's substations. A Grand Jury report in 2010 stated that the Sheriff processed 12,746 average jail bookings per year with an average daily jail population of 1,123.[23]



Municipal police departments[edit]


Municipal police departments in the county are: Merced, population 83,000; Los Banos, population 38,000; Atwater, population 30,000; Livingston, population 13,000; Gustine, population 6,000; Dos Palos, population 5,500.



State and federal representation[edit]


In the United States House of Representatives, Merced County is in California's 16th congressional district, represented by Democrat Jim Costa.[24]


In the California State Legislature, Merced County is in the 21st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Adam Gray, and the 12th Senate District, represented by Republican Anthony Cannella.[25]



Politics[edit]



Voter registration statistics[edit]

































































Cities by population and voter registration[edit]












































































Overview[edit]


Merced County voted for the winning candidate for president in every election from 1972-2012, before voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Democrat Barack Obama won a majority in the county in both 2008 and 2012. Republican George W. Bush won a majority in the county in both 2000 and 2004.



Presidential elections results













































































































































































































Merced County vote
by party in presidential elections
[27]
Year

GOP

DEM
Others

2016
40.58% 28,725

52.72% 37,317
6.71% 4,747

2012
44.33% 27,581

53.04% 33,005
2.63% 1,636

2008
44.81% 28,704

53.13% 34,031
2.05% 1,316

2004

56.54% 32,773
42.26% 24,491
1.20% 696

2000

51.77% 26,102
45.08% 22,726
3.15% 1,590

1996
44.41% 20,847

46.41% 21,786
9.17% 4,305

1992
36.48% 17,981

40.85% 20,133
22.67% 11,170

1988

51.20% 21,717
47.40% 20,105
1.40% 592

1984

58.85% 24,997
40.05% 17,012
1.10% 468

1980

48.77% 18,043
42.94% 15,886
8.29% 3,067

1976
46.08% 14,842

51.65% 16,637
2.26% 729

1972

54.33% 17,737
42.62% 13,914
3.05% 997

1968
40.90% 11,595

50.98% 14,453
8.12% 2,301

1964
31.18% 8,814

68.74% 19,431
0.08% 24

1960
43.37% 11,990

56.23% 15,545
0.40% 111

1956
45.99% 11,430

53.78% 13,366
0.23% 56

1952

53.26% 13,512
45.88% 11,639
0.86% 219

1948
42.60% 7,721

54.95% 9,959
2.45% 444

1944
41.31% 6,518

58.25% 9,192
0.44% 69

1940
36.35% 6,101

62.57% 10,501
1.08% 182

1936
25.50% 3,230

72.69% 9,208
1.82% 230

1932
27.20% 2,920

67.10% 7,202
5.70% 612

1928

60.17% 4,644
38.48% 2,970
1.35% 104

1924

52.94% 3,573
10.52% 710
36.53% 2,466

1920

62.99% 3,457
28.01% 1,537
9.00% 494

1916
40.72% 2,132

50.36% 2,637
8.92% 467

1912
0.24% 10
46.78% 1,978

52.98% 2,240

1908

44.58% 1,107
44.30% 1,100
11.12% 276

1904

49.07% 972
43.56% 863
7.37% 146

1900
41.59% 811

55.44% 1,081
2.97% 58

1896
36.24% 653

61.99% 1,117
1.78% 32

1892
39.66% 782

50.46% 995
9.89% 195



According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 20, 2008, there were 97,179 registered voters in Merced County.[citation needed] Of those, 44,704 (46.0%) are registered Democratic, 35,955 (37.0%) are registered Republican, 3,090 (3.2%) are registered with other political parties, and 13,430 (13.8%) declined to state a political party. Atwater and the unincorporated areas of Merced County have Republican plurality registration advantages. All of the other cities and towns in the county have Democratic pluralities or majorities in voter registration.



Crime[edit]


The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.




























































Cities by population and crime rates[edit]






























































Economy[edit]


According to America's Labor Market Information System 2014 report,[31] the companies with the largest employment in Merced are, in alphabetical order:




  • Anberry Rehabilitation Hospital

  • Atwater Elementary Teachers

  • Bianchi & Sons Packing Co (produce)

  • E & J Gallo Winery

  • Foster Farms

  • Golden Valley Health Center

  • Hilmar Cheese Company

  • J. Marchini & Son (farming)

  • Liberty Packing Co

  • Live Oak Farms (produce)

  • Livingston District Office (education)

  • Malibu Boats West Inc


  • McLane Pacific (wholesale food services)

  • Merced County Human Services

  • Mercy Medical Center Merced

  • Pacific Gas and Electric Company


  • Quad/Graphics (printing)

  • Sensient Dehydrated Flavors

  • University of California, Merced

  • Walmart

  • Werner Co (ladders)

  • Western Marketing & Sales (farming)

  • Yosemite Wholesale Warehouse



Merced County grows 90% of California's sweet potato crop,[32] due in part to the efforts of John Buttencourt Avila, called "the father of the sweet potato industry".



Transportation[edit]



Major highways[edit]




  • I-5 (CA).svg Interstate 5


  • California 33.svg State Route 33


  • California 59.svg State Route 59


  • California 99.svg State Route 99


  • California 140.svg State Route 140


  • California 152.svg State Route 152


  • California 165.svg State Route 165



Public transportation[edit]




  • Merced County Transit, or "The Bus," provides local service in Merced as well as connecting service between most cities in Merced County.

  • The University of California, Merced, operates its own transit system, Cat Tracks. This system connects with Merced County Transit.


  • Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System, or YARTS, connects Merced with Yosemite National Park.


  • Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains provide long-distance intercity service.



Airports[edit]


Merced Regional Airport, located two miles (3 km) southwest of downtown Merced, provides passenger air service. General aviation airports in the county include Castle Airport, Gustine Airport, and Los Banos Municipal Airport.



Communities[edit]



Cities[edit]



  • Atwater

  • Dos Palos

  • Gustine

  • Livingston

  • Los Banos


  • Merced (county seat)



Census-designated places[edit]




  • Ballico

  • Bear Creek

  • Cressey

  • Delhi

  • Dos Palos Y

  • El Nido

  • Franklin

  • Hilmar-Irwin

  • Le Grand

  • McSwain

  • Planada

  • Santa Nella

  • Snelling

  • South Dos Palos

  • Stevinson

  • Tuttle

  • University of California Merced

  • Volta

  • Winton




Population ranking[edit]


The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Merced County.[33]


county seat
































































































































































Rank
City/Town/etc.
Municipal type
Population (2010 Census)
Population (2018 CA Department of Finance)



1

Merced
City
78,958
86,750
2

Los Banos
City
35,972
40,986
3

Atwater
City
28,168
31,235
4

Livingston
City
13,058
14,328
5

Delhi
CDP
10,755
6

Winton
CDP
10,613
7

Franklin
CDP
6,149
8

Gustine
City
5,520
5,874
9

Hilmar-Irwin
CDP
5,197
10

Dos Palos
City
4,950
5,679
11

Planada
CDP
4,584
12

McSwain
CDP
4,171
13

Le Grand
CDP
1,659
14

South Dos Palos
CDP
1,620
15

Santa Nella
CDP
1,380
16

Ballico
CDP
406
17

Cressey
CDP
394
18

El Nido
CDP
330
19

Dos Palos Y
CDP
323
20

Stevinson
CDP
313
21

Bear Creek
CDP
290
22

Volta
CDP
246
23

Snelling
CDP
231
24

Tuttle
CDP
103


Places of interest[edit]


The former Castle Air Force Base and the United States Penitentiary, Atwater are located in an unincorporated area near Atwater.



See also[edit]




  • List of California Historical Landmarks

  • List of museums in the San Joaquin Valley

  • List of school districts in Merced County, California

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Merced County, California



Notes[edit]





  1. ^ Other = Some other race + Two or more races


  2. ^ Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native


  3. ^ ab Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.




References[edit]





  1. ^ "Merced County". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved January 31, 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  2. ^ "Merced County, CA - Official Website - County Executive Office". www.co.merced.ca.us. Retrieved 2016-05-30.


  3. ^ "Laveaga Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved January 31, 2015.


  4. ^ abc "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2016.


  5. ^ ab "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.


  6. ^ "Merced County, CA Zip Codes". Zip-Codes.com. Retrieved May 29, 2016.


  7. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.


  8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2015.


  9. ^ abcdefghijklmnopq U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.


  10. ^ ab U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.


  11. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.


  12. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.


  13. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.


  14. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.


  15. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2015.


  16. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 28, 2015.


  17. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 28, 2015.


  18. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved September 28, 2015.


  19. ^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.


  20. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.


  21. ^ Oppenheim, Jamie. "Hmong youth not preserving traditions, professor says Archived June 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.." Monday March 29, 2010. Retrieved on September 20, 2010.


  22. ^ "Board of Supervisors". Merced County, CA. Retrieved January 5, 2015.


  23. ^ Grand Jury report 2010 website


  24. ^ "California's 16th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.


  25. ^ "Communities of Interest — County". California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Retrieved September 28, 2014.


  26. ^ abcdefghijklmnopq California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived November 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 2013-10-31.


  27. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 16, 2018.


  28. ^ abcdefghij Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 2013-11-14.


  29. ^ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.


  30. ^ abc United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved 2013-11-14.


  31. ^ "Major Employers in California". www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov. Retrieved March 16, 2018.


  32. ^ "Farmers Markets: Stokes Purple is a sweet potato of mystery", Los Angeles Times, 2 November 2012


  33. ^ Promotions, Center for New Media and. "US Census Bureau 2010 Census". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 16, 2018.




Further reading[edit]



  • A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Merced, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa, California. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1892.


External links[edit]







  • Official website Edit this at Wikidata














Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Merced_County,_California&oldid=857550046#History"





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