Quality of Life

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While the future holds great promise, that future will be built on the solid foundation established by those who have gone before us. Merced is a wonderful place to live, and the community is committed to preserving our special quality of life.

Merced boasts dozens of tree-shaded parks, miles upon miles of bike paths and plenty of choices for sailing, water skiing and fishing. Lake Yosemite is a favorite with sailors and windsurfers alike, and its grassy, tree-lined shore makes a perfect setting for a Sunday afternoon picnic. Or you may prefer to take in a play at Playhouse Merced or stroll through an art exhibit at the Multicultural Art Center in the lovely Downtown.

Recreation and cultural opportunities certainly contribute to that special quality of life in Merced, but what may be more important is the sense of community that is shared by the people who live here. Businesses and individuals take pride in their volunteer accomplishments. Local government is responsive to community needs.

Perhaps it is our agricultural roots, but Merced has maintained a small town environment in an urban setting. Neighborhoods are still the building blocks of the community. Wide, tree-lined streets and spacious homes offer a pleasant contrast to the congested residential areas of larger cities. Neighbors spend time together and watch out for each other.

We invite you to consider investing in Merced. Affordable land and labor costs, good transportation access, and a location central to major markets should motivate your strategic planners. Affordable homes, quality education, abundant recreational opportunities and friendly neighbors will motivate your employees.

Cost of Living
This index compares the relative cost of living in different locations. Using the United States as the base location (i.e. a value of 100), an index value of 120 means that the cost of living in that particular community is 20 percent higher than in the base location; a value of 94 indicates a more affordable location.
Location	Cost of Living Index
City of Merced	103
City of Fresno	109
City of Madera	105
City of Modesto	112
City of Turlock	111
City of Visalia	108
Source: Sperling's BestPlaces (www.bestplaces.net), September 2011 data. The total of all cost of living categories is weighted as follows: 30% housing, 15% groceries, 10% transportation, 6% utilities, 7% health care, and 32% miscellaneous (clothing, services, entertainment); state and local taxes are not included. (October 2011)

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Climate
January Low/High	36°F / 55°F
July Low/High	26°F / 95°F
Prevailing Windspeed	6 mph/NW
Annual Precipitation	12.4 inches
Elevation (1)	170 feet
Comfort Index (1)	52
Source: (1) Sperling's BestPlaces (www.bestplaces.net); Weather Underground (www.weatherunderground.com) Note: The Comfort Index measures recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. The Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people. Higher values indicate a more comfortable climate. (October 2011)

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Crime Rate
Jurisdiction	Property Crime Rate per 1,000	Violent Crime Rate per 1,000
City of Merced	14.8	6.3
City of Fresno	22.4	6.1
City of Madera	12.8	7.1
City of Modesto	7.2	6.9
City of Turlock	2.1	6.7
City of Visalia	10.4	4.6
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (www.fbi.gov), 2010 data (October 2011)

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Police Protection
Provider	# Stations	Officers per 1,000	Special Units
City of Merced Police Department 611 W. 22nd Street Merced, CA 95340 Norm Andrade, Chief 209-385-6913	1 HQ 2 Substations	1.2	Bomb Unit Domestic Violence Response Team K-9 Unit Bike Patrol Mounted Patrol SWAT & Technical Negotiations Team Community Aides
County of Merced Sheriff 700 W. 22nd Street Merced, CA 95340 Mark Pazin, Sheriff 209-385-7444	HQ	4.4	Dive Team K-9 Unit Special Enforcement Response Team SWAT
Source: Merced Police Department (www.cityofmerced.org/depts/police/default.asp); Merced County Sheriff's Office (www.co.merced.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=87); Officers per 1,000 population data is from the FBI Uniform Crime Statistics Police Employees 2010 data (www.fbi.gov), (October 2011)

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Fire Protection
Provider	# Stations	Special Units
City of Merced Fire Department 99 E. 16th Street Merced, CA 95340 Mike McLaughlin, Chief 209-385-6891	5	HazMat / Decontamination Fire Investigation Fireworks Permitting Business Inspections Hazardous Operations Permits Public Education
County of Merced Fire Department 735 Martin Luther King Jr. Way Merced, CA 95341 209-385-7344	1	Emergency Medical / Rescue Response Emergency Services Management Fire Prevention Fire Protection Hazardous Material Emergency Response Public Education First Aide & CPR Flood Control Assistance Blood Pressure Measurement
*Insurance Rating:	n/a
Source: Merced Fire Department (www.cityofmerced.org/depts/fire/default.asp); Merced County Fire Department (www.co.merced.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=70) (October 2011) *Insurance Rating - ISO (Insurance Services Office) determines the ISO ratings and that information is purchased (by subscription) by insurance offices. Your insurance agent should have current information and provide you with your ISO rating for your particular address.

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Housing Costs
Starter	Mid-Level	Executive
$64,000 to $85,000	$84,000 to $99,000	$137,000 to $575,000
1 or 2 BR; 1000+ sf; 20+ yrs old	3 or 4 BR; 1200+ sf; 10+ yrs old	4+ BR; 2000+ sf; 5+ yrs old
Source: Merced County Association of Realtors (www.mercedcounty.com) (October 2011)

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Rental Housing Costs
Single Family Homes	Apartments/Townhouses
$750 to $875 (2-bedroom)	$425 to $670 (1-bedroom)
$850 to $1,400 (3-bedroom)	$450 to $820 (2-bedroom)
$1,150 to $2,500 (4-bedroom)	$825 to $1,100 (3-bedroom)
Source: Gonella Property Management (www.mercedrentalproperties.com) (October 2011)

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Median Value of Owner-Occupied Homes
City of Merced	State of California	United States (2010)
$126,670	$297,060	$179,000
Source: US Census Bureau, American Fact Finder (www.census.gov/) US 2010 data; California Association of Realtors (www.car.org), August 2011 data (September 2011)

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K-12 Education
Elementary Schools	Enrollment	Avg. Class Size	Test Scores*
Ada Givens Elementary (K-5)	493	21.4	775
Alicia Reyes Elementary (K-5)	580	23.2	740
Allan Peterson Elementary (K-5)	752	24.2	854
Charles Wright Elementary (K-5)	459	22.8	782
Don Stowell Elementary (K-5)	519	22.5	745
Donn B. Chenowith Elementary (K-5)	716	31.0	853
Farmdale Elementary (K-5)	850	20.4	790
Franklin Elementary (K-5)	489	21.1	786
Joe Stefani (3-5)	510	23.1	786
John C. Fremont Charter (K-5)	508	21.1	n/a
John Muir Elementary (K-5)	491	18.8	788
Leontine Gracey Elementary (K-5)	561	22.4	692
Luther Burbank Elementary (K-5)	598	23.0	731
Margaret Sheehy Elementary (K-5)	508	22.0	771
McSwain Elementary (K-8)	836	23.3	860
Pioneer Elementary (K-5)	903	20.0	823
Plainsburg Union Elementary (K-8)	114	19.0	842
Middle Schools	Enrollment	Avg Class Size	Test Scores*
Herbert H. Bruickshank (6-8)	867	25.1	810
Herbert Hoover Middle (6-8)	857	24.1	731
Merced Scholars Charter (6-12)	108	25.4	n/a
Rudolph Rivera Middle (6-8)	898	26.0	759
Tenaya Middle (6-8)	890	25.0	713
Weaver Middle (6-8)	759	21.0	776
High Schools	Enrollment / Grad Rate	Avg Class Size	Test Scores*
Golden Valley High (9-12)	2,316 (89.5)	22.4	775
Merced High (9-12)	2,656 (88.6)	24.1	800
Alternative/Special/Adult Education	Enrollment / Grad Rate	Avg Class Size	Test Scores*
Floyd A. Schelby (K-12) (Special Ed)	63 (n/a)	9	728
Independence High (9-12) (Alt)	215 (39.1)	11.3	520
Merced City School District Communic Day (K-8) (Alt)	19 (n/a)	6.3	n/a
Merced County Juvenile Hall/Community (K-12) (Alt)	114 (28.6)	19.0	n/a
Merced County Special Education (K-12)	526 (n/a)	9.2	717
Sequoia High (9-12) (Alt)	146 (84.5)	8.4	516
Valley Community (K-12) (Alt)	841	22.8	535
Yosemite High (9-12) (Continuation)	307 (78.6)	11.2	527
Private Schools	Enrollment	Avg Class Size	Test Scores*
Harvest Christian (PK-12)	40	6.8	n/a
Merced Adventist (4-8)	9	9.0	n/a
Merced Christian (PK-8)	181	12.4	n/a
Merced Montessori (PK-K)	68	1.1	n/a
Our Lady of Mercy (PK-8)	324	26.7	n/a
St. Luke's Episcopal (PK-5)	83	9.0	n/a
St. Paul Lutheran (PK-5)	124	15.8	n/a
Stone Ridge Christian High (9-12)	52	9.6	n/a
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (www.nces.ed.gov); Great Schools (www.greatschools.org); 2009-2010 data (September 2011) *API: The API (Academic Performance Index) ranges between 200 and 1,000, with 800 as the statewide goal for all schools.

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Healthcare Facilities (sampling)
Name	Location/ Distance	# Beds	Services / Specialties
Mercy Medical Center Merced 333 Mercy Avenue 209-564-5000	Merced 3.3 miles	186	Cardiac, critical care, emergency services, family clinic, home care, laboratory, maternity, outpatient services, radiology, rehabilitation, respiratory, sleep lab, surgical, wound healing and hyperbaric medicine center
Hy-Lond Healthcare Center 3170 M Street 209-723-1056	Merced 1.3 miles	120	Short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing services
Country Villa Merced Behavorial Healthcare Center 1255 B Street 209-723-8814	Merced 1.5 miles	96	Behavorial nursing care facility
Country Villa Merced Heathcare Center 510 W. 26th Street 209-723-2911	Merced 0.7 mile	78	Residential nursing care / rehabilitation facility
Franciscan Convalescent Hospital 3168 M Street 209-722-6231	Merced 1.4 miles	71	Skilled nursing care facility
Country Villa La Sierra Care Center 2424 M Street 209-723-4224	Merced 0.6 mile	68	Residential nursing care / rehabilitation facility
Children's Hospital Central California Merced Center 1190 Olivewood Dr, Ste A 209-726-0199	Merced 1.5 miles	6	Neonatal instensive care unit (satellite office)
Marie Green Center 300 E. 15th Street 209-381-6879	Merced 1.0 miles	n/a	Provides inpatient services for Merced County Mental Health. Treatment for individuals needing brief hospitalization as a result of crisis or emergency. Hospital treatment will address acute symptoms in order to assist individual to return to previous level of functioning.
Veteran's Merced Outpatient Clinic 340 E. Yosemite Ave 209-725-8141	Merced 2.3 miles	n/a	Hospital, outpatient medical, dental, pharmacy and prosthetic services, domicillary, nursing home and community-based residential care; specialized healthcare for women Veterans, health and rehabilitation programs for homeless Veterans
Blood Source – Merced County 382 Yosemite Avenue 209-724-0428	Merced 2.9 miles	n/a	Blood bank services and programs; blood collection, marrow and blood stem cell collection; National Marrow Donor program; specialized testing; volunteer programs; medical consultation; educational resources and Speaker's Bureau
California Home Care & Hospice, Inc. 3381 G Street 209-722-2273	Merced 2.4 miles	n/a	Nursing care, physical therapy, medical, social and home health aide services
Cardiovascular Clinic of California 900 W. Olive Ave #D 209-723-2037	Merced 1.1 miles	n/a	Sleep associated conditions, lipids, diabetes, cardiology heart and blood vessels, sleep disorders
Comfort Keepers 478 E. Yosemite Ave, Ste C 209-726-8007	Merced 3.1 miles	n/a	In-home care provider
Golden Valley Health Center 847 W. Childs Avenue 209-383-7441 Women's Health 209-383-571 Dental 209-383-5871	Merced 1.2 miles	n/a	Comprehensive primary medical services; behavorial health; family practice; ngeriatrics, health education, internal medicine, laboratory, optometry, pediatrics, pharmacy, podiatry, women's health and dental
Merced County Mental Health, Alcohol & Drug Services 480 East 13th Street 209-381-6814	Merced 1.5 miles	n/a	Mental health services to children, youths, adults and families. Also drug and alcohol services
Merced County Public Health Department 260 E. 15th Street 209-381-1010	Merced 1.2 miles	n/a	Services include pregnancy, home visiting, multi-purpose Senior services, transporation, healthcare coverage, family planning, immunizations, nutrition, dental health, vision and hearing screening, teen pregnancy, special healthcare needs and more
Mercy Home Care 2740 M Street 209-384-4820	Merced 0.8 mile	n/a	In-home healthcare services & home health aides
Mercy Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine 378 W. Olive Avenue 209-384-5766	Merced 1.2 miles	n/a	Occupational physical therapy, certified wound care nurse, critical care, emergency medicine
Park Avenue Physical Therapy 2808 Park Ave #8 209-723-8144	Merced 0.9 mile	n/a	Pre and post surgical programs, post mastectomy, orthopedic and sports rehabilitation, manual therapy, industrial injuries
Patients First Medical Center 394 Yosemite Ave #200 209-383-3990	Merced 2.3 miles	n/a	Family practice medical clinic
Source: Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce, Business Directory (www.merced-chamber.com); YellowPages.com, Local Guides (www.yellowpages.com), (September 2011) Note: Distance is measured from Merced City Hall

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Culture / Sports / Recreation
Theater and Fine Arts
Merced Agricultural Museum 4498 E. State Hwy 140 209-383-1912	Merced Theater 301 W. Main Street 209-722-3266 (Closed for restoration, reopens 2012)
Merced Arts Council 645 W. Main Street 209-388-1090	Merced College Performing Arts Community College Dr. S. 209-386-6644
Castle Air Museum 5050 San Fe Drive #7 Atwater, CA (8.7 miles) 209-723-2178	Castle Science & Technology Center 3460 Challenger Way Atwater, CA (8.7 miles) 209-726-0236
Merced College Art Gallery 3600 M Street 209-384-6064	Playhouse Merced 452 W. Main Street 209-725-8587
Merced Courthouse Museum 21st and N Street 209-723-2401	UC Merced Performing Arts 5200 North Lake Road 209-228-4566
Merced Symphony 645 Main Street 209-383-3277
Golf Courses
Merced Golf and Country Club 6333 North Golf Road 209-722-3357 (6 miles) (Private)	Rancho Del Rey Golf Course 5250 Green Sands Avenue Atwater, CA 209-358-7137 (7.7 miles) (Public)
Pheasant Run Golf Course 19 Clubhouse Drive Chowchilla, CA 866-475-2525 (18 miles) (Private)
Sports Venues and Organizations
Merced Parks & Community Services Department Youth Sports – 209-385-6978 NBA/WNA Youth Basketball League Youth NFL Flag Football League Merced Youth Baseball Inc. – 209-726-6262 (ages 5-16) Merced Girls Softball League – 209-722-4866 (ges 4-18) Cougars Youth Football – 209-725-8409 (ages 8-14) Merced Youth Soccer Association – 209-384-2417 (ages 6-18) Merced Atlas Soccer Academy – 209-947-0050 (ages 5-16) GV Mat Cats – 209-564-7871 (ages 5-16) Directly operated by Parks & Community Services Dept. Adult Sports* – 209-385-6978 Basketball (35 or older) Softball (men's, women's. co-ed, industrial) Leisure Classes – 209-385-6855 Beginning Ballroom Dancing Martial Arts Instruction Danzan Ryu Jujutsu (ages 18 & up) Hunters Safety Course Indoor Youth Soccer – 209-385-6978 (ages 3-4), (Co-ed ages 5-6)
Brenda Athletic Clubs 3360 North State Hwy 59 209-725-8375	Merced Academy of Dance 645 West Main Street 209-388-1888
CrossFit Merced 28 West Main Street 626-513-6780	Merced Gymnastics 443 West 18th Street 209-384-0323
Curves Merced 28 West Olive Avenue 209-722-8738	Merced Mixed Martial Arts Academy 810 West Main Street 209-384-0117
Eastwind Martial Arts Academy 1635 G Street 209-723-1358	Moe's Side Kick Tae Kwon Do 334 West Main Street 209-723-4522
In-Shape City 2951 North G Street 209-723-3377	Roller Land 1445 West 18th Street 209-723-1282
Kiwanis Kiddieland 25th Street 209-723-8307	Tumble Time Gymnastics 140 Macready Drive, Ste A 209-723-8309
Recreational Facilities and Opportunities
Merced Parks & Community Services Department 209-385-6855
Mini Parks
Benjamin Tannager Memorial Park 1301 W. 2nd Street	Black Rascal Creek Bike Way Park Between Parsons Ave & McKee Rd.
Charles Richard Drew Park 8th & N Street	Dennis Chavez Park 11th & W. Street
Diego Rivera Park 10th & P Street	Fahrens Park Old & Bike Path Denver Way
Fredrick Douglas Park 8th & V Street	Hansen Park 1357 Hansen Avenue
Neighborhood Park 11th & H Street	Neighborhood Park East 12th & G Street
Santa Fe Strip Park Buena Vista	The Love Veasley Family Park 6th & Canal Street
William Lloyd Garrison South S Street & Home Ave
Neighborhood Parks
Ada Givens Park 300 Block of 27th Street	Bernasconi Park 3770 DeSoto Way
Bob Carpenter Park Selverado & Parsons Ave	Carolo Gabriault Park 1601 Willowbrook Drive
Davenport Park SW Corner of Dunn & Whitedove	Flanagan Park Cone Ave & Las Brisas
Gilbert Macias Park Childs Ave & G Street	Elmer Murchie Park Bellvue Ranch
Rudolph Joseph Merino Park Pacific & El Redondo Ave	Stephen Leonard Park 7th & T Street
Stephan Gray Park NW Bear Creek near Hwy 59	Dwight Amey Park
Brooks Park South G Street & Gerard Ave	Burbank Park E. Olive Avenue
Community Parks
Fahrens Park Between Hwy 59 & R St	Joe Herb Park 2200 Yosemite Parkway
McNamara Park 1040 Canal Street	Rahilliy Park 3400 North Parsons
Bob Hart Square Park Canal & W. Main Street	Merced Courthouse Park 21st & N Street
Regional Parks
Applegate Park R & 25th Street	Youth Sports Complex 1800 Bl of Wardrobe Ave
Merced Dog Park Yosemite & R Street
National Parks
Yosemite National Park Yosemite, CA 209-372-0200 (81 miles)
Movie Theaters
Mainplace Stadium Cinemas 403 W. Main Street 209-725-3456	United Artists Regency 7 635 Fairfield Drive 209-722-3600
Senior Activities
Merced Senior Community Center 755 W. 15th Street 209-385-7550 Senior activities
Other Activities / Attractions / Events
Merced Fruit Barn 4526 E. Highway 140 209-385-2222 Tours	Merced Visitor Services 710 W. 16h Street 209-724-8104 Downtown Walking Tour
Cyberstation (Arcade) 717 Merced Mall 209-725-2904	Clogging Instruction by Althea 463 Weaver Avenue 209-384-2469
Breaktime Billards 1822 Canal Street 209-383-7665	Oh Wow Nickel Arcade 100 W. Olive Avenue 209-383-1880
Merced Poker Room 1445 Marting Luther King Jr. Way 209-722-5050	Poker Flats Casino 1714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way 209-383-4817
Source: Merced Parks and Community Services Dept. (http://www.cityofmerced.org/depts/parks _n_community_services/default.asp); Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce, Business Directory (http://www.merced-chamber.com); YellowPages.com, Local Directory (www.yellowpages.com) (September 2011)