Most of Merced is in Merced County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $35.52 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 5 ZIP codes in Merced with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,120 to $1,470 a month. At the middle rent, $1,200, a full-time job would need to pay $38.79 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95340 | Merced County | $1,120/mo | $35.52/hr |
| 95341 | Merced County | $1,150/mo | $36.74/hr |
| 95343 | Merced County | $1,200/mo | $38.79/hr |
| 95344 | Merced County | $1,200/mo | $38.79/hr |
| 95348 | Merced County | $1,470/mo | $50.03/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Merced needs to pay at least $35.52 an hour before taxes, about $73,874 a year. That is the figure for Merced County, where the typical studio rent is $1,120 a month.
Yes. Across the 5 ZIP codes in Merced with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,120 to $1,470 a month. At the middle rent of $1,200, the pay needed would be $38.79 an hour.
The minimum wage in Merced County is $16.90 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 2.1 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads