NAICS 81

Other Services in Merced, CA

Metro Market Score 43.0 (Moderate), ranked #99 of 332 metros. 285 establishments, 2,160 jobs.

Metro Market Score 43.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national other services average.

🌱Emerging Market

Merced has a relatively low concentration of other services firms (index: 28.0) paired with positive employment growth. This suggests an underpenetrated market where demand may outpace current supply.

Industry Concentration

28.0

LQ: 0.84

Rank #93 of 332 metros

Wage Competitiveness

47.3

$44,783 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 56.6

Employment growth index

Rank #145 of 332 metros

Wage Pressure

56.0

YoY wage change index

285 Other Services Firms in Merced

285

Establishments

+4.0% YoY

2,160

Total Employment

+1.8% YoY

$44,783

Average Annual Wage

+4.9% YoY

0.84

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within California

#6 of 24

other services metros in state

California state rank

#45 of 51

for other services entry risk

vs State Median

-6.3

better than median (49.4)

Merced vs California Statewide

How this metro's other services market compares to California overall. The state ranks #45/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Merced	CA Statewide
Overall Score	43.0 Moderate	57.1 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#99 of 332 metros	#45 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 Finance and Insurance 34.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.3 Retail Trade 56.2 Accommodation and Food Services 64.8

Other Services in Other California Metros

Hanford-Corcoran 31.1 #32/332 Visalia 34.5 #51/332 Fresno 37.5 #63/332 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura 38.7 #69/332 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles 38.8 #70/332 Stockton-Lodi 43.5 #103/332 Redding 43.7 #104/332 El Centro 43.8 #105/332 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 45.3 #121/332 Modesto 45.5 #122/332

+ 13 more metros. View all in California →

Other Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Merced's 43.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Lynchburg, VA 43.0 #98/332 Laredo, TX 43.1 #100/332 Enid, OK 43.1 #101/332 Lewiston-Auburn, ME 42.9 #97/332 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 42.8 #96/332 Wildwood-The Villages, FL 43.3 #102/332 Reading, PA 42.7 #95/332 Hammond, LA 42.7 #94/332 Utica-Rome, NY 42.7 #93/332 Reno, NV 42.6 #92/332

Other Services in States Bordering California

State-level entry risk for other services in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Nevada 45.2 #27/51 Arizona 46.0 #30/51 Oregon 57.1 #46/51

Browse Other Services in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for other services 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 other services sector, the employment growth component (43.4) 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