Population 8,979 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Merritt
Household size in Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.06 | 2.66 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.16 | 2.72 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.10 | 2.73 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.11 | 2.62 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.04 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Merritt is a place of small households, averaging 2.11 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has crept up from 2.06 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.4 | 36.3 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.8 | 36.6 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.9 | 37.5 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 38.7 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.8 | +2.4 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Merritt skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.2, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 35.4 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the west.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 15.6% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 15.6% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 12.8% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 12.8% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Merritt: 8.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has fallen 4.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Merritt
Renters in Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.7% | 57.8% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 91.6% | 60.3% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 89.1% | 59.5% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 91.4% | 57.9% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +0.2 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Merritt rent: 91.4% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Just over half of owners (52.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 2.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 12.2% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 9.7% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 7.3% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 8.1% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −4.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Merritt is close to the national rate: 9.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy has edged down 1.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1951 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1953 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1958 | 1954 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1958 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +7 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Merritt is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1966, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Still, homes here are newer than in Oakland as a whole, where the median home dates to 1958. The median year built has moved up from 1952 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $889 | $1,120 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $938 | $1,201 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,229 | $1,591 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,854 | $2,124 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$965 | +$1,004 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Merritt runs $1,854 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in Oakland as a whole ($2,124). Rents are up $965 a month from 2006–10, a 108% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 29.4% of household income on rent, just 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 Merritt
Bachelor's degrees in Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.5% | 32.4% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.5% | 35.0% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.9% | 41.1% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 45.1% | 45.9% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +21.6 pts | +13.5 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in Merritt than nationally: 45.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 21.6 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the south.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.3% | 75.9% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 68.8% | 78.2% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.2% | 80.6% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 79.6% | 82.9% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +7.1 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Merritt never finished high school, well above the national share: only 79.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 8.4 points, as it has nationally.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Oakland | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 10.9% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 12.6% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 6.4% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −4.4 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Merritt than nationally: unemployment was 6.1%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 4.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Merritt compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merritt | 2.11 | 42.2 | 8.2% | 91.4% | 9.5% | 1966 | $1,854 | 45.1% | 79.6% | 6.1% |
| Clinton | 2.42 | 39.7 | 8.2% | 84.2% | 7.6% | 1952 | $1,752 | 36.3% | 78.4% | 7.4% |
| Cleveland Heights | 2.11 | 40.9 | 4.9% | 78.6% | 8.9% | 1949 | $2,058 | 61.9% | 93.0% | 4.1% |
| Lakewide | 1.36 | 41.6 | 3.5% | 93.2% | 10.5% | 1960 | $1,858 | 60.4% | 90.0% | 5.3% |
| Rancho San Antonio | 3.32 | 32.9 | 23.8% | 68.7% | 9.6% | 1948 | $2,051 | 22.4% | 68.3% | 14.0% |
| Highland Terrace | 3.18 | 34.9 | 19.1% | 66.8% | 9.1% | 1948 | $1,772 | 28.4% | 72.7% | 9.6% |
| Adams Point | 1.65 | 39.1 | 7.0% | 84.1% | 11.8% | 1963 | $2,167 | 69.6% | 95.4% | 3.0% |
| Downtown Oakland | 1.55 | 38.4 | 4.3% | 94.3% | 19.9% | 2005 | $2,429 | 64.4% | 90.7% | 7.4% |
| Old City-Produce and Waterfront | 1.69 | 37.2 | 7.5% | 66.0% | 14.1% | 1996 | $2,736 | 68.4% | 93.8% | 6.2% |
| Lynn-Highland Park | 2.76 | 38.1 | 16.1% | 56.7% | 7.0% | 1945 | $1,916 | 37.7% | 78.3% | 6.5% |
| Trestle Glen | 2.52 | 43.7 | 7.2% | 25.3% | 8.8% | 1939 | $2,281 | 75.9% | 98.7% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Beaverdale, Des Moines, IA · City Hall Monument District, New Britain, CT · Desert Hills, Las Vegas, NV · Donelson, Nashville, TN · Downtown Columbus, Columbus, OH · Downtown Hampton, Hampton, VA · Lindenwood Park, St. Louis, MO · Bay Farm Island, Alameda, CA · Merriman Valley, Akron, OH · Mustang-Padre Island, Corpus Christi, TX
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 Merritt. 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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