Census tract · Merced County
Census Tract 26.02, Merced County, California
Census Tract 26.02, GEOID 06047002602, in Merced County, California, partly within Merced, Bear Creek and Tuttle. 4,689 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±837); the 2020 Census counted 3,978.
Residents, 2020-2024
4,689
±837 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,978
Median household income
$129,583
±$25,020 (90% margin)
Merced County: $65,510
Median home value
$474,900
±$30,627 (90% margin)
Merced County: $391,800
Median gross rent
$2,145
±$511 (90% margin)
Merced County: $1,343
Where is Census Tract 26.02?
Census Tract 26.02 is one of 63 census tracts in Merced County, California. It covers 7.75 square miles of land, 513 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 06047002602, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Merced | 46% |
| Bear Creek | 3% |
| Tuttle | 1% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 26.02: Tract 11.01 ($81,469), Tract 12 ($85,298), Tract 14.02 ($63,958), Tract 18.01 ($81,850), Tract 19.01 ($48,690) and Tract 26.01 ($112,519). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 26.02?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 26.02's population at 4,689 (±837) in 1,391 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,978 residents and 1,392 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 26.02 | Merced County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,689 ±837 | 290,201 |
| Households | 1,391 ±226 | 86,055 |
| Average household size | 3.37 ±0.41 | 3.32 |
| Housing units | 1,611 ±172 | 90,872 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 26.02?
The median resident of Census Tract 26.02 is 33.8 years old; 22.7% are under 18 and 11.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 49.9%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 32.3%. 20.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 26.02 | Merced County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.8 ±3.3 | 31.8 |
| Under 18 years | 22.7% ±5.6 pts | 28.7% |
| 65 years and over | 11.6% ±2.6 pts | 11.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 49.9% ±9.3 pts | 63.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 32.3% ±8.3 pts | 23.2% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.4 pts | 2.6% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 10.6% ±4.5 pts | 7.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±2.0 pts | 0.2% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±3.1 pts | 2.9% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.4% |
| Born outside the United States | 20.0% ±5.7 pts | 25.6% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 39.0% ±10.9 pts | 52.7% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.7% ±2.0 pts | 3.6% |
| With a disability | 12.5% ±3.6 pts | 12.5% |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.3% ±1.8 pts | 8.1% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.0% ±9.0 pts | 72.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 44.9% ±8.6 pts | 15.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 20.3% ±5.1 pts | 4.7% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.0% ±6.2 pts | 89.9% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 26.02 earn?
Half of the 1,391 households in Census Tract 26.02 earn less than $129,583 a year (±$25,020), against $65,510 across Merced County: 2nd highest of the county's 62 tracts with a reliable estimate. 2.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 26.02 | Merced County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $129,583 ±$25,020 | $65,510 |
| Mean household income | $179,025 ±$50,383 | $87,781 |
| Per capita income | $56,122 ±$13,608 | $28,030 |
| People below the poverty line | 2.9% ±1.7 pts | 19.1% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 1.2% ±2.0 pts | 26.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.0% ±5.8 pts | 21.0% |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±3.0 pts | 91.4% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.1% ±4.6 pts | 88.4% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 26.02?
Owners occupy 82.2% of Census Tract 26.02's occupied homes and renters 17.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $474,900 by its owner (±$30,627). The median renter pays $2,145 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 26.02 | Merced County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $474,900 ±$30,627 | $391,800 |
| Median gross rent | $2,145 ±$511 | $1,343 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.3% ±27.7 pts | 42.5% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,449 ±$160 | $1,915 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 82.2% ±7.1 pts | 54.0% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 17.8% ±7.1 pts | 46.0% |
| Housing units | 1,611 ±172 | 90,872 |
| Single-family detached homes | 97.5% ±2.3 pts | 74.3% |
| Mobile homes | 1.1% ±1.8 pts | 6.2% |
| Built 2020 or later | 13.7% ±8.0 pts | 2.1% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 11.2% ±6.2 pts | 6.7% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.7% ±1.3 pts | 4.4% |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.5% ±2.8 pts | 7.3% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 26.02 get to work?
73.8% of Census Tract 26.02's workers drive alone and 13.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 29.3 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 26.02 | Merced County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.1% ±6.2 pts | 59.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% ±5.0 pts | 10.6% |
| Drove alone to work | 73.8% ±8.0 pts | 76.0% |
| Carpooled | 5.7% ±3.9 pts | 10.5% |
| Public transportation | 0.8% ±1.4 pts | 0.5% |
| Walked | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 2.4% |
| Worked from home | 13.1% ±6.9 pts | 6.6% |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.3 min ±8.1 | 31.3 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 26.02 compare with the other tracts in Merced County?
Among Merced County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 26.02 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Merced County |
|---|---|
| Population | 31st of 63 |
| Residents per square mile | 43rd of 63 |
| Median household income | 2nd of 62 |
| Per capita income | 3rd of 63 |
| Median home value | 10th of 60 |
| Median gross rent | 4th of 62 |
| Poverty rate | 53rd of 53 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1st of 57 |
| Median age | 22nd of 63 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1st of 62 |
The tracts next to it on Merced County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 10.08 | 1st | $131,762±$24,579 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 26.02 | 2nd | $129,583±$25,020 |
| Tract 7.02 | 3rd | $120,833±$25,125 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 26.01 | 4th | $112,519±$19,436 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 25 | 5th | $107,900±$17,773 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 26.02?
1 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 26.02 on this page carries a coefficient of variation over 40% and is marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections