Merced County, CA elected officials: supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Merced County: 8 seats on 4 elected bodies. 3 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Supervisors

Merced County Board of Supervisors

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it now
Supervisor, District 1Jim Pacheco source
Supervisor, District 2Josh Pedrozo source
Supervisor, District 3Daron McDaniel source
Supervisor, District 4Lloyd Pareira, Jr. source
Supervisor, District 5Scott Silveira source

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
AssessorMatt H. May sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
District AttorneyNicole Silveira sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
Sheriff-CoronerVernon Warnke sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Merced County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 89 local governments in Merced County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships60
School districts (school boards)210
Special districts (elected boards)610

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (1 in Merced County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Merced County

290,201people
31.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$65,510 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
19.1%below the U.S.: 12.5%
15.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$391,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
10.6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
25.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
3.6%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
8.1%U.S.: 8.4%
51.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
40.1%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 63.4% · White 23.2% · Black 2.6% · Asian 7.1% · Other or more than one race 3.8% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Merced County

8.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 8.4%. California: 5.1%.
10,158people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
114,961people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
125,119in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Merced County 0.0%3.3%6.6%9.8%13.1% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)8.1%10,158114,961125,119
August 20268.9%10,889111,019121,908
July 20269.1%11,129111,464122,593
June 20269.2%11,363111,859123,222
May 20268.8%10,881112,749123,630
April 20269.6%11,860111,226123,086
March 202610.6%13,195111,380124,575
February 202610.9%13,624111,470125,094
January 202610.6%13,105110,699123,804
December 20259.6%11,869112,202124,071
November 20259.1%11,442114,333125,775
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20258.4%10,694116,095126,789
August 20259.4%11,691112,579124,270
July 202510.1%12,732113,757126,489
June 202510.3%12,775111,272124,047
May 202510.0%12,353111,621123,974
April 202510.8%13,248109,793123,041
March 202511.8%14,742109,759124,501
February 202511.8%14,594108,580123,174
January 202511.2%13,659108,081121,740
December 20249.9%11,928108,093120,021
November 20248.9%10,798110,023120,821
October 20248.2%10,028112,735122,763
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)10.2%12,709111,643124,352
20249.8%11,921109,509121,430
20239.0%10,796108,770119,566
20227.8%9,102106,930116,032
202110.3%11,933103,482115,415
202012.5%14,449101,561116,010
20198.2%9,494106,958116,452
20188.4%9,706105,390115,096
20179.5%10,896104,239115,135
201610.7%12,183102,048114,231

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. California's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 5.1% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Merced County

474.5 per 100,0002025. California: 432.7.
1,786.0 per 100,0002025. California: 1,792.2.
14murders2025, 1,423 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20251,423474.55,3561,786.0
20241,573523.96,0862,027.1
20231,618547.75,9402,010.5
20221,818623.56,4432,209.5
20201,656597.25,5942,017.3
20191,514551.06,3742,319.7
20181,546566.56,2382,285.8
20171,556575.56,7372,491.5
20161,487552.87,1522,658.7
By police agency (7)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Merced Police Department20256862,37798,482
Merced County Sheriff's Office20253391,28992,830
Los Banos Police Department202512371849,457
Atwater Police Department202518664732,326
Livingston Police Department20255022014,908
Gustine Police Department202414596,086
Dos Palos Police Department202527775,752

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in California · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.49 per 1,000 residents2025, 7 agencies serving 299,894 people.
448sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
195civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (7), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Merced County Sheriff's Office2538692,830
Merced Police Department944198,482
Los Banos Police Department423749,457
Atwater Police Department261332,326
Livingston Police Department16914,908
Dos Palos Police Department965,752
Gustine Police Department836,139
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20254481.491957
20244131.381757
20233931.331627
20224191.441517
20214041.451587
20203091.112447
20193111.132237
20183051.122217
20172931.082167
20162751.022147

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Merced County Assessor?
Matt H. May is the Assessor of Merced County, California. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Merced County District Attorney?
Nicole Silveira is the District Attorney of Merced County, California. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Merced County Sheriff-Coroner?
Vernon Warnke is the Sheriff-Coroner of Merced County, California. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Merced County commissioners?
Jim Pacheco (Supervisor, District 1); Josh Pedrozo (Supervisor, District 2); Daron McDaniel (Supervisor, District 3); Lloyd Pareira, Jr. (Supervisor, District 4); Scott Silveira (Supervisor, District 5).
What is the population of Merced County?
About 290,201 people, with a median age of 31.8; the median household income is $65,510 and 19.1% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Merced County?
8.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 10,158 people unemployed in a labor force of 125,119, against 8.4% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Merced County?
89 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 6 municipal, 21 school district and 61 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Secretary of State's California Roster; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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