Population 1,126 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Merit
Household size in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.83 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.81 | 2.89 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.90 | 2.94 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.10 | 2.87 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.44 | +0.03 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Merit are large by national standards, averaging 3.10 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 2.66 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6 | 34.6 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.2 | 35.3 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.1 | 36.2 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.4 | 36.7 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.8 | +2.2 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Merit is 42.4 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 13.2% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 13.4% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 12.6% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 11.6% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Merit than nationally: 8.8%, against 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Merit
Renters in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.9% | 37.1% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.6% | 39.5% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 40.5% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 39.9% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −12.3 pts | +2.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 6.6% of households in Merit rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 52.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 10.2% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.4% | 8.8% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.6% | 8.2% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 7.2% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Merit than nationally: 12.2%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1987 | 1984 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1993 | 1985 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1995 | 1987 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2002 | 1992 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +8 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Merit is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2002, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $919 | $1,058 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $863 | $1,135 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,091 | $1,349 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,041 | $1,865 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$122 | +$807 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in Merit runs $1,041 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.6% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Merit
Bachelor's degrees in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 31.6% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 32.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 34.9% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.3% | 39.5% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.5 pts | +7.9 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Merit: 21.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.3% | 83.5% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.5% | 84.4% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.8% | 85.4% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.6% | 87.6% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +4.0 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Merit is a bit above the national rate: 91.6% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Merit
| Period | Merit | Dallas area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 7.1% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 7.6% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.7% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Merit than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. That is in line with the rest of the Dallas area. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Merit compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merit | 3.10 | 42.4 | 8.8% | 6.6% | 12.2% | 2002 | $1,041 | 21.3% | 91.6% | 4.1% |
| Floyd | 2.91 | 42.2 | 8.9% | 13.0% | 12.8% | 2002 | $1,417 | 20.2% | 90.0% | 4.9% |
| Celeste | 3.00 | 42.8 | 11.1% | 14.6% | 10.3% | 1995 | $873 | 18.4% | 87.1% | 6.8% |
| Lane | 3.19 | 41.0 | 13.7% | 13.1% | 9.8% | 1995 | $948 | 12.5% | 88.0% | 7.1% |
| Farmersville | 2.86 | 39.2 | 19.4% | 19.0% | 12.3% | 1997 | $1,383 | 20.6% | 86.7% | 9.3% |
| Peniel | 2.69 | 43.3 | 8.4% | 26.5% | 10.1% | 1983 | $1,231 | 18.7% | 83.7% | 5.9% |
| Tidwell | 2.55 | 49.8 | 7.0% | 12.7% | 8.4% | 1987 | $1,348 | 25.4% | 95.3% | 5.2% |
| Pike | 3.08 | 39.1 | 8.2% | 10.0% | 10.5% | 1999 | $1,286 | 24.8% | 93.1% | 4.1% |
| Clinton | 3.05 | 35.9 | 9.1% | 15.9% | 6.3% | 2000 | $1,277 | 25.3% | 93.0% | 6.8% |
| White Rock | 2.64 | 45.4 | 9.1% | 18.8% | 7.6% | 1990 | $839 | 28.4% | 84.9% | 9.2% |
| Wolfe City | 2.89 | 35.6 | 10.6% | 25.9% | 8.8% | 1988 | $1,043 | 18.4% | 86.8% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Garwood, TX · Stout, OH · Stockertown, PA · St. Vincent College, PA · Springer, OK · Southmont, NC · South Washington, IN · Somerset, MI · Sanish, ND · Houston, AL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Merit. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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