Editing Merced County, California (section)

===2000===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 210,554 people, 63,815 households, and 49,775 families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|109|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. There were 68,373 housing units at an average density of {{convert|36|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 56.2% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 3.8% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.2% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 6.8% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.2% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 26.1% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 5.7% from two or more races. 45.3% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 6.6% were of [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] and 6.0% [[German people|German]] ancestry according to [[Census 2000]]. 55.1% spoke [[English language|English]], 35.3% [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 3.2% [[Hmong language|Hmong]], 2.9% [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] and 1.0% [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] as their first language.

There were 63,815 households, out of which 45.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.25 and the average family size was 3.69.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 34.5% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,532, and the median income for a family was $38,009. Males had a median income of $31,721 versus $23,911 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $14,257. About 16.9% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2008, according to the Lao Family Community, a nonprofit organization, about 8,000 [[Hmong people|Hmong]] lived in Merced County.<ref>Oppenheim, Jamie. "[http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/03/29/1366628/hmong-youth-not-preserving-traditions.html Hmong youth not preserving traditions, professor says] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608185151/http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/03/29/1366628/hmong-youth-not-preserving-traditions.html |date=June 8, 2010 }}." Monday March 29, 2010. Retrieved on September 20, 2010.</ref>