Merced, CA: 2-bedroom payment standards across 21 ZIP codes
HUD's FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents for Merced, CA MSA range from $1,360 to $1,840 for a 2-bedroom. The 90th-percentile ZIP code runs 1.18× the 10th — a gap of $250 a month — which ranks 224th widest of the 247 HUD metro areas we compare.
median 2-bedroom SAFMR across the area's 21 ZIP codes. Where a housing authority sets a single metro-wide standard, it could reach $1,573 at 110%.
monthly gap between the 90th- and 10th-percentile ZIP code ($1,360 to $1,610).
of the area's ZIP codes (3 of 21) sit above $1,573 — 110% of the area median.
Highest-rent ZIP codes in Merced, CA
Every ZIP code, ranked
The payment-standard column is HUD's published 90–110% band for that ZIP code — the range a housing authority may adopt without HUD approval. Your PHA sets the exact figure. The final column compares each ZIP to the area median; ZIP codes marked above 110% exceed 110% of that median — where a housing authority sets a single area-wide standard, those sit above the highest ceiling basic policy reaches.
| # | ZIP code | 2 BR SAFMR ▾ | Payment standard (90–110%) | vs area median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 95348 | $1,840 | $1,656–$2,024 | above 110% |
| 2 | 93635 | $1,760 | $1,584–$1,936 | above 110% |
| 3 | 95334 | $1,610 | $1,449–$1,771 | above 110% |
| 4 | 95301 | $1,550 | $1,395–$1,705 | 108% |
| 5 | 93661 | $1,500 | $1,350–$1,650 | 105% |
| 6 | 95343 | $1,500 | $1,350–$1,650 | 105% |
| 7 | 95344 | $1,500 | $1,350–$1,650 | 105% |
| 8 | 95312 | $1,490 | $1,341–$1,639 | 104% |
| 9 | 93665 | $1,450 | $1,305–$1,595 | 101% |
| 10 | 95341 | $1,450 | $1,305–$1,595 | 101% |
| 11 | 95315 | $1,430 | $1,287–$1,573 | 100% |
| 12 | 95340 | $1,400 | $1,260–$1,540 | 98% |
| 13 | 93610 | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | 95% |
| 14 | 93620 | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | 95% |
| 15 | 93622 | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | 95% |
| 16 | 95303 | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | 95% |
| 17 | 95317 | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | 95% |
| 18 | 95333 | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | 95% |
| 19 | 95365 | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | 95% |
| 20 | 95374 | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | 95% |
| 21 | 95388 | $1,360 | $1,224–$1,496 | 95% |
How Merced, CA compares
Its internal spread of 1.18× (p90 ÷ p10) ranks 224 of 247 HUD metro FMR areas, against a median of 1.37× and a national high of 1.77×. On the steadier p75 ÷ p25 measure it is 1.10×. Note that this area's 90th or 10th percentile lands exactly on its highest or lowest ZIP code, so a single ZIP is carrying the p90/p10 figure — the p75/p25 measure is the better read here. See the full ranking and how it was measured →
A note on what this does not mean: a higher payment standard does not increase the assistance a household receives. It raises the ceiling on the rent a voucher can cover, while the household still pays roughly 30% of adjusted income. Figures are ZIP-weighted, not renter-weighted, and rest on 2019–2023 American Community Survey data trended forward.