Merced County

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County Comparison Rating

Education

Health

Child Welfare & Economic Well-Being

County Quick Facts

78,952 children live in Merced county.

Ethnicity is 68% Latino, 20% White, 3% African-American, 7% Asian, 3% Other

$40,552 is the average family income for this county.

44% of families can afford basic living expenses.

36% of children live in poverty.

Data across counties
Data over time
Data by race / ethnicity

Education

2016
Rank
Low
CA Avg
High
2016
Change
Latino
White
African American
Asian
Other
Young children, ages 0-5, who are read to everyday
56
36%
86%
62% CA
45%*
41%
63%*
100%*
67%*
100%*
3 and 4 year olds who attend preschool
55
32%
68%
47% CA
33%
30%*
NA
NA
NA
NA
3rd graders who read at grade level
47
24%
62%
42% CA
31%
NA
28%
45%
24%
35%
36%
8th graders who meet or exceed state standards in math
50
17%
59%
36% CA
21%
NA
18%
28%
5%
40%
32%
Students who are low income and have access to a state-funded afterschool program
27
0%
75%
12% CA
12%
–
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
High school science classes that are taught by a highly qualified teacher
28
54%
100%
91% CA
94%
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Students who feel connected to their school
47
34%
62%
47% CA
42%
41%
49%
36%
39%
42%
Suspensions that are limited to serious offenses, not willful defiance
43
29%
93%
69% CA
60%
60%
62%
60%
60%
58%
Students who are ready or conditionally ready for college-level math courses
44
14%
51%
32% CA
22%
NA
18%
27%
15%
45%
25%
12th graders who graduate on time
22
4%
94%
82% CA
87%
86%
88%
83%
94%
83%
Data across counties
Data over time
Data by race / ethnicity

Health

2016
Rank
Low
CA Avg
High
2016
Change
Latino
White
African American
Asian
Other
Women who receive early prenatal care
51
28%
91%
82% CA
65%
66%
70%
49%
53%
62%
Newborns who are exclusively breastfed while in the hospital
35
34%
93%
69% CA
66%
66%
77%
51%
44%
40%
Children who have health insurance for the entire year
15
83%
100%
93% CA
94%*
92%*
99%*
75%
96%*
100%*
Children who have a usual source of health care
16
83%
98%
93% CA
93%*
–
92%*
96%*
100%*
80%*
100%*
Young children, ages 0-3, who are low income and have visited a dentist in the last year
36
10%
66%
32% CA
27%
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Asthmatic children who have been given a written asthma management plan
16
5%
48%
24% CA
23%*
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Children who are a healthy weight
37
48%
76%
62% CA
59%
56%
66%
66%
64%
61%
Students who are low income and eat free or reduced priced breakfast during the school year
24
17%
75%
38% CA
37%
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Students who are low income and eat free or reduced price meals during the summer
34
54%
100%
85% CA
88%
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Schools that have a health center
29
0%
14%
2% CA
0%
–
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Adolescents who are not at risk for depression
33
64%
79%
70% CA
68%
67%
69%
75%
65%
68%
Data across counties
Data over time
Data by race / ethnicity

Child Welfare & Economic Well-Being

2016
Rank
Low
CA Avg
High
2016
Change
Latino
White
African American
Asian
Other
Young children, ages 0-3, who do not experience recurring abuse or neglect
9
50%
100%
94% CA
98%
98%
96%
100%
100%*
100%
Children in the child welfare system who have stability in their placement
28
55%
100%
86% CA
86%
87%
80%
93%
100%*
100%*
Adolescents in the child welfare system who are placed in family-like settings
7
40%
100%
76% CA
87%
90%
79%
84%
83%*
100%*
Children in the child welfare system who have had a medical exam in the last year
19
18%
100%
84% CA
91%
92%
89%
85%
100%*
100%*
Children in the child welfare system who exit to permanency within three years
12
64%
100%
84% CA
96%
95%
100%
84%
100%*
100%*
Children who are not living in communities of concentrated poverty
50
53%
100%
83% CA
71%
67%
82%
67%*
74%
NA
Youth who attend school or are employed
36
84%
96%
92% CA
89%
89%
89%
NA
94%
94%*

Notes

NA (Not Available)Data that are not available are noted as NA. The most frequent reasons for NAs include the unavailability of longitudinal data, fewer than 10 cases (low number events), and statistically unstable estimates.

Asterisks*An asterisk indicates that data should be interpreted with caution. Asterisks were used to note low number of events (fewer than 10) or unstable data with large confidence intervals. Data or estimates with low numbers and large confidence intervals indicate that a data point may not be a true representation of the larger population.

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