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City · 6,132 residents · Merced County, California

Hilmar-Irwin , California

In Hilmar-Irwin, a typical home is worth $449,600 and typical rent is $1,536 a month. Compared with all of Merced County, typical household income is 22% higher and the typical home value is 15% higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $449,600

    15% above the county

    39% below California

    • Hilmar-Irwin
    • Merced
    • California

  • Typical rent

    $1,536a month

    14% above the county

    25% below California

    • Hilmar-Irwin
    • Merced
    • California

  • Typical household income

    $79,948a year

    22% above the county

    19% below California

    • Hilmar-Irwin
    • Merced
    • California

  • Households that own their home

    54%

    About the same as the county

    1 points below California

    • Hilmar-Irwin
    • Merced
    • California

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Hilmar-Irwin is in Merced County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Merced County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Hilmar-Irwin apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Hilmar-Irwin has the 7th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 616 cities in California with more than 5,000 people (35%).

  2. Nearby, in Keyes, the typical home value is $344,100: 23% less than in Hilmar-Irwin ($449,600).

  3. Nearby, in Delhi, the typical rent is $1,274: 17% less than in Hilmar-Irwin ($1,536).

  4. The typical household income in Hilmar-Irwin is $79,948, 22% more than in Merced County as a whole ($65,510).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Hilmar-Irwin

What homes there are in Hilmar-Irwin, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

In Hilmar-Irwin, 8 in 10 homes are single-family detached houses; in Merced County, 7.

Mobile homes are 12% of homes in Hilmar-Irwin, more than in Merced County (6%).

Year built

In Hilmar-Irwin, half of the homes were built before 1987; in Merced County, before 1986.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,959 a month

Merced County: $1,915 a month

Without a mortgage

$547 a month

Merced County: $609 a month

Owners with a mortgage

62%

Merced County: 64%

In Hilmar-Irwin, 62% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,959 a month, about the same as in Merced County.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, homes in Hilmar-Irwin gained value faster than in Merced County: 58% against 55%.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Hilmar-Irwin rose 23%, less than in Merced County (32%).

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureHilmar-IrwinMerced CountyCaliforniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate2.5%4.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.7%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate8.2%8.2%3.4%
People per household 3.103.322.842.53
Drive alone 74%76%66%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate11%10%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%3%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate7%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate4%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Hilmar-Irwin are smaller: 3.10 people on average; in Merced County, 3.32.

In Hilmar-Irwin, 74% of workers drive alone to work; in Merced County, 76%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Hilmar-Irwin?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Hilmar-Irwin, worth $449,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 54% of the typical household income in Hilmar-Irwin, which is $79,948 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $154,514 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Merced County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Hilmar-Irwin. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $15,736 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,605

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$441,457
Total interest
$635,153
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $7,593 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,865 a month

  • Tight

    $1,865 to $2,398 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,398 a month

    Your payment · 54%

Compared with the typical household income in Hilmar-Irwin ($79,948 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,605
Principal & interest$2,991
Property tax$229
Home insurance$187
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$199

You need at least $15,736 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Hilmar-Irwin and Merced County

Hilmar-Irwin is in Merced County, California. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Hilmar-Irwin's own numbers

Typical home value
$449,600
Typical monthly rent
$1,536
Typical yearly household income
$79,948
Households that own their home
54%
Effective property tax rate
0.61%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Merced County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,517
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+46%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
20%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Merced County.

Everything about Merced County

Buying

Buying a home in Hilmar-Irwin

A typical home in Hilmar-Irwin is worth $449,600: 15% above the county and 39% below California. With the typical household income in Hilmar-Irwin ($79,948 a year), a typical home costs 5.6 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Hilmar-Irwin 5.6 years
  • Merced 6.0 years
  • California 7.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Merced County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Merced County rose 105% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Merced County.

Period County California U.S.
Last year (2025) +0.8% +0.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +46% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +105% +80% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Hilmar-Irwin next to Merced County, California and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Hilmar-Irwin $449,600
  • Merced $391,800
  • California $734,700
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Hilmar-Irwin $1,536
  • Merced $1,343
  • California $2,036
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Hilmar-Irwin $79,948
  • Merced $65,510
  • California $99,122
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Hilmar-Irwin next to Merced County and California
Measure Hilmar-Irwin Merced County California U.S.
Typical home value $449,600 $391,800 $734,700 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,536 $1,343 $2,036 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $79,948 $65,510 $99,122 $80,734
Households that own their home 54% 54% 56% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $2,724 $2,634 $5,124 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.61% 0.67% 0.7% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 35% 52% 55% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Merced County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Hilmar-Irwin

For a typical $449,600 home in Hilmar-Irwin, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Hilmar-Irwin's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,605a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $15,736
    Cash to close
    $29,224
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $199

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,523a month

    Down payment
    $22,480
    Cash to close
    $35,968
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $214

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,852a month

    Down payment
    $89,920
    Cash to close
    $103,408
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,268a month

    Down payment
    $67,440
    Cash to close
    $80,928
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Hilmar-Irwin and for Merced County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Hilmar-Irwin

0.61%of the home’s value each year

$2,724 a year for the typical owner in Hilmar-Irwin.

  • Hilmar-Irwin 0.61%
  • Merced 0.67%
  • California 0.7%

What California publishes Homeowners' exemption (California State Board of Equalization (BOE))

Exemptions and deadlines in California

Flood risk in Merced County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Merced County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
20%
15,210
Of those, with NFIP insurance
24%
County California U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 20% 2.8% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 24% 31% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Hilmar-Irwin

Typical rent in Hilmar-Irwin is $1,536 a month: 14% above the county. In Hilmar-Irwin, 35% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Merced County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,517 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $29.17 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Merced County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,200 $23.08 $48,000
1 bedroom $1,262 $24.27 $50,480
2 bedrooms $1,517 $29.17 $60,680
3 bedrooms $2,087 $40.13 $83,480
4 bedrooms $2,477 $47.63 $99,080

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Hilmar-Irwin

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Hilmar-Irwin is in ZIP code 95324.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,720: $203 more than the fair market rent for Merced County ($1,517).

  • 95324 $1,720$2,370

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Hilmar-Irwin when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Hilmar-Irwin

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Merced County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A man leans over the armchair where a girl is reading a book.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Hilmar-Irwin

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Hilmar-Irwin or Merced County. The ones below are statewide in California: they work in Hilmar-Irwin the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in California

  • MyHome Assistance Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers in California. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan

    Statewide in California

    Closed, per the source

    CalHFA down payment loan for first-generation buyers in California; when you sell, you repay the loan plus a share of the home's appreciation. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Shared appreciation

    See the program Official page

  • MyAccess Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers who use the CalPLUS Access mortgage (FHA or conventional). Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Hilmar-Irwin

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Hilmar-Irwin, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Habitat for Humanity, Stanislaus County

    2260 Tenaya Dr, Modesto · 17 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 7 more
    (209) 575-4585

  • Visionary Home Builders of California

    315 N San Joaquin St, Stockton · 45 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 3 more
    (209) 466-6811

  • Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley - Milpitas

    1608 Las Plumas Ave, San Jose · 56 miles away · Spanish

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 3 more
    (510) 803-3362

All counseling agencies in California

Help in Spanish near Hilmar-Irwin

2 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Hilmar-Irwin

HUD’s record names them for Hilmar-Irwin or Merced County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • County of Merced Housing Authority Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (209) 386-4139

All housing agencies in California Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Merced County

These cities are also in Merced County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Merced County Housing in California

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Hilmar-Irwin, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Merced County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Hilmar-Irwin.

All guides
A mother and her daughters smile together on a mountain trail with a snowy peak behind them.

Questions

Housing questions about Hilmar-Irwin

Short answers with the numbers for Hilmar-Irwin and all of Merced County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Hilmar-Irwin?

The typical home value in Hilmar-Irwin is $449,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Merced County it is $391,800.

How much does it cost to rent in Hilmar-Irwin?

Typical rent in Hilmar-Irwin is $1,536 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Merced County is $1,517.

What is the FHA loan limit in Hilmar-Irwin?

Hilmar-Irwin uses the FHA limit for all of Merced County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Hilmar-Irwin?

The typical homeowner in Hilmar-Irwin pays $2,724 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.61% of the home’s value; in Merced County, the rate is 0.67%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Hilmar-Irwin?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Merced County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).