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Merced (pronounced "Mer-SED"), is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 63,893. Incorporated in 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government. It is named after the Merced River, which flows nearby.
Merced, known as the "Gateway to Yosemite", is less than two hours by car from Yosemite National Park to the east and to the west is Monterey Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and miles of beaches. The community is served by the rail passenger service, AmtrakMerced's Amtrak station URL: http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Station/Station_Page&cid=1080080552400, a major airline, through Merced Municipal Airport, and two bus lines.
In 2005, the city became home to the tenth University of California campus, the University of California at Merced.
Transportation
Air
Bus
- Greyhound serves Merced.
Rail
- Amtrak provides passenger service.
Major Roads
Geography
Merced is located at (37.305977, -120.477916).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 51.4 km² (19.9 mi²).
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 73,610 people, 20,435 households, and 14,631 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,242.2/km² (3,216.7/mi²). There were 21,532 housing units at an average density of 418.6/km² (1,084.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.40% White, 6.33% African American, 1.28% Native American, 11.37% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 23.18% from other races, and 5.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.36% of the population.
There were 20,435 households out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.62.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.7% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,429, and the median income for a family was $32,470. Males had a median income of $31,725 versus $24,492 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,115. About 22.4% of families and 27.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
Community
Merced can currently be described as a "sleepy town," though the arrival of California's tenth UC campus, UC Merced, could help to change the city's image. Current recreation in the town include Category:Merced, CA, Applegate Park and zoo, Bear and Black Rascal Creeks and its bike trails, a skate park located in Applegate, a live stage theater Category:Merced, CA, Downtown, two first run movie theaters, Category:Merced, CA, Historic Courthouse circa 1889, and the Category:Merced, CA, County Library. Though still growing, Merced has several shopping areas including the Merced Mall, anchored by Target, Sears, JC Penny's and Mervyns, the Best Buy strip mall including Barnes & Noble, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, and several restaurants, and Main Street with several restaurants, movie theaters, and bars.
Also within a short distance from the city limits are the Castle Air Museum, Lake Yosemite, and Merced Falls.
The city of Merced, along with its surrounding cities are serviced by the Merced Sun-Star. This daily newspaper has a circulation of over 20,000 in the Merced area.
Education
The city of Merced is served by two high schools, Merced High and Golden Valley, and one community college, Merced College. The University of California, Merced opened in late 2005 just outside of the city limits. The city is also served by several private religious and technical schools.
External links
- Official site
- UC Merced Official site
- The Merced Sun-Star official site
- Local resources: MyMerced.com Google Yahoo!
Images
- Commons:Category:Merced, CA
- Commons:Category:Merced, CA, Applegate Park
- Commons:Category:Merced, CA, County Library
- Commons:Category:Merced, CA, Downtown
- Commons:Category:Merced, CA, Historic Courthouse
- Commons:Category:Merced, CA, Vetrans Memorial
- Commons:Category:Media by Ron Johnson (other images likely present)
References and Notes
"Merced, California"