The Town FilesLos Banos, California
City in Merced County · population 45,532 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $440,900
- Household income
- $68,171
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 30.3
Los Banos is a city of 45,532 people in Merced County, California. The median home is worth $440,900, below the typical California town ($596,900).
How Los Banos ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Los Banos is worth $440,900, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.5 times the median household income of $68,171, which is more affordable than 49% of California towns. Median rent is $1,557 a month. 59.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Los Banos | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $440,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,557 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $68,171 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.5× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 59.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1997 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Los Banos
| People | Los Banos | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.3 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 31.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.5% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 17.4% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 25.9% | — |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 54.6 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 82.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Los Banos
July highs average 94.6°F and January lows 39.3°F. About 9.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 97 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 16 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Los Banos since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on April 22, 1967 about 5.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 14, 1998.
Severe weather in Merced County since 1996
Merced County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Merced County
Merced County had 84,952 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,952 a year. Unemployment was 9% in 2023; in Los Banos itself the ACS puts it at 8.9%.
Public schools in Los Banos
18 public schools with 11,235 students, about 23.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pacheco High | 9-12 | 1,786 | 22.3 |
| Los Banos High | 9-12 | 1,543 | 21.4 |
| Los Banos Junior High | 7-8 | 926 | 22.0 |
| Grasslands Elementary | K-6 | 892 | 30.8 |
| Creekside Junior High | 7-8 | 823 | 21.1 |
| R. M. Miano Elementary | K-6 | 763 | 25.4 |
| Henry Miller Elementary | K-6 | 713 | 26.4 |
| Lorena Falasco Elementary | K-6 | 713 | 27.4 |
| Mercey Springs Elementary | K-6 | 620 | 29.5 |
| Westside Union Elementary | K-6 | 548 | 23.8 |
| Los Banos Elementary | K-6 | 541 | 24.6 |
| Volta Elementary | K-6 | 389 | 21.6 |
Towns near Los Banos
- Dos Palos, CA12.6 mi · 5,798 people · home $299,500
- Gustine, CA15.6 mi · 6,110 people · home $441,700
- Newman, CA20.1 mi · 12,351 people · home $412,700
- McSwain, CA22.3 mi · 4,480 people · home $690,100
- Livingston, CA23.3 mi · 14,172 people · home $372,700
- Hilmar-Irwin, CA23.6 mi · 5,164 people · home $449,600
- Atwater, CA24.1 mi · 31,970 people · home $363,400
- Franklin, CA24.9 mi · 6,919 people · home $308,200
Los Banos questions
Is Los Banos, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Los Banos scores better for retirees than 14% of California towns and quieter than 18%. 10.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 30.3).
How much does a house cost in Los Banos?
The median owner-occupied home in Los Banos is valued at $440,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $68,171, so homes cost about 6.5 times income. Median rent is $1,557 a month.
What is the weather like in Los Banos?
July highs average 94.6°F and January lows 39.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 9.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Los Banos get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Los Banos since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on April 22, 1967. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)