Merced County, California

Home values, rent, property taxes, insurance and how local prices relate to local incomes.

Household earnings and buying power. Adjusted income restates local income using the statewide cost-of-living index.

What people here do for work, who they work for, whether they work from home, and how much of the local economy sits in one industry.

State tax rules that can affect take-home pay, investments and everyday purchases.

Distance to air travel and how people get around locally. Distances are straight-line from the county's population-weighted centre, so driving is further.

Public schools and colleges counted where they actually sit, plus the education level of adults who live here. Students per teacher is a staffing measure, not a quality ranking.

Who lives here and what the place is like: population, age, migration, safety and civic profile.

Measured annual temperature, precipitation and snowfall. These are climate facts, not a ranking.

Relative exposure to air pollution and natural hazards. Higher values indicate more measured risk, not a prediction.