There are 35,972 residents in Los Banos, which is 10.1 square miles and 118ft above sea level. It was settled in May 8, 1907 and is governed by a local government.
There are 78,958 residents in Merced, which is 23.2 square miles and 171ft above sea level. It was settled in April 1, 1889 and is governed by a Councilu2013manager{{Cite web|url=https://www.municode.com/library/ca/merced/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=THCH_ARTIIIFOGO_S300FOGO|title=Merced, CA Code of Ordinances [codes] - Sec. 300. - Form of government|publisher=Municode|accessdate=February 4, 2015}} local government.