NAICS 52

Finance and Insurance in Merced, CA

Metro Market Score 34.4 (Favorable), ranked #73 of 331 metros. 127 establishments, 1,066 jobs.

Metro Market Score 34.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national finance and insurance average.

Finance and Insurance wages in Merced run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 15.4), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 19.3. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

3.6

LQ: 0.31

Rank #12 of 331 metros

Wage Competitiveness

15.4

$71,790 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 14.2

Employment growth index

Rank #285 of 331 metros

Wage Pressure

19.3

YoY wage change index

127 Finance and Insurance Firms in Merced

127

Establishments

-8.0% YoY

1,066

Total Employment

-5.4% YoY

$71,790

Average Annual Wage

-4.2% YoY

0.31

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within California

#4 of 24

finance and insurance metros in state

California state rank

#12 of 51

for finance and insurance entry risk

vs State Median

-15.1

better than median (49.4)

Merced vs California Statewide

How this metro's finance and insurance market compares to California overall. The state ranks #12/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Merced	CA Statewide
Overall Score	34.4 Favorable	46.9 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#73 of 331 metros	#12 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Merced

Information 16.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 17.5 Administrative and Support Services 19.7 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 29.9 Construction 30.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.3 Other Services 43.0 Retail Trade 56.2 Accommodation and Food Services 64.8

Finance and Insurance in Other California Metros

Bakersfield-Delano 19.0 #5/331 El Centro 28.6 #36/331 Redding 32.8 #63/331 Visalia 39.7 #101/331 Fresno 42.2 #121/331 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara 42.6 #124/331 Vallejo 43.3 #130/331 Napa 43.5 #131/331 Modesto 43.8 #135/331 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 43.9 #136/331

+ 13 more metros. View all in California →

Finance and Insurance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Merced's 34.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Punta Gorda, FL 34.3 #72/331 Lebanon, PA 34.2 #71/331 Huntsville, AL 34.0 #70/331 Fond du Lac, WI 34.0 #69/331 Las Cruces, NM 34.7 #74/331 Manhattan, KS 33.9 #68/331 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 33.6 #67/331 Dalton, GA 35.4 #75/331 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 33.3 #66/331 Sumter, SC 33.3 #65/331

Finance and Insurance in States Bordering California

State-level entry risk for finance and insurance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Arizona 52.6 #29/51 Nevada 55.6 #38/51 Oregon 56.7 #41/51

Browse Finance and Insurance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for finance and insurance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Merced's finance and insurance sector, the employment growth component (85.8) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Merced, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment