Merced vs Modesto
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Merced edges it, 60 to 59, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Farm-belt college town on the road to Yosemite
Full Merced profile →Plan a trip to Merced →Central Valley farm city that inspired American Graffiti
Full Modesto profile →Plan a trip to Modesto →Where they differ
- Climate. Modesto leads on climate, 50 to 42, against Merced. Comfortable months: 5 vs 6.
- Air quality. Merced leads on air quality, 86 to 80, against Modesto. PM2.5: 11.2 µg/m³ vs 13.9 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, cost of living, getting there & around, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Merced if you want
- to spend about $175 less a month
- faster internet (99.6 Mbps measured)
Pick Modesto if you want
- no clear edge over Merced in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Merced | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 22 ✓ | 19 |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 85 ✓ | 80 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 13 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 86 ✓ | 80 |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Merced | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,948 ✓ | $3,123 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Merced | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Merced | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 99.6 Mbps ✓ | 75.3 Mbps |
| Upload | 17.6 Mbps ✓ | 15.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Merced | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Merced | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 15 | 53 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Merced | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11.2 µg/m³ ✓ | 13.9 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Merced or Modesto?
- Merced is cheaper: about $2,948 per month versus $3,123 for one person.
- Is Merced or Modesto safer?
- Merced and Modesto score the same on safety (51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Merced or Modesto?
- Merced: a measured median of 99.6 Mbps versus 75.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.