Merced, CA business phone guide

Merced, CA at a glance

The Merced, CA metro area covers 1 county in California and had 297,000 residents in July 2024, up 5.1% since April 2020. The U.S. population grew 2.6% over the same period. By population it ranks 173rd of the 925 metro and micropolitan areas and 280th by business establishments.

Merced, CA's business base

County Business Patterns counted 3,592 establishments in the area in 2023, employing 49,545 people in mid-March with $2.5 billion in annual payroll. That is an average of 13.8 employees per establishment. 51.4% of establishments with employees had fewer than five people. By establishment count, the largest sectors are retail trade (550), health care and social assistance (514), and construction (415).

Merced, CA compared with the U.S.

Merced, CA has 12.1 business establishments per 1,000 residents, 50.8% below the U.S. figure of 24.6. Establishments average 13.8 employees against 16.7 nationally, and payroll per employee is $49,482 (27.6% below the U.S. $68,342). 51.4% of establishments with employees have fewer than five people (U.S.: 55.5%), while 4.6% have 50 or more. Most establishments are far smaller than the average suggests, so it pays to price a phone plan at the headcount you actually have rather than the average.

Small-business industries in Merced, CA

Of the 141 industries these guides cover, 102 have a published Census count in Merced, CA. The largest are limited-service restaurants (169), physician practices (125), and full-service restaurants (117). Relative to population, general freight trucking companies (local) are the most over-represented: 36.1 per 100,000 residents against 13.6 nationally.

Phone numbers in the Merced, CA area

The area's named cities and towns have 120 NANPA-assigned exchanges across 2 area codes; 209 has the most (88%). Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a business serving several parts of the area can hold a number in each.

Local numbers by city

Pages for 6 cities and towns in the area list their area codes, prefixes and carriers.

Phone costs for a typical Merced, CA business

Per-seat phone plans multiply by headcount. For the rounded average establishment size in Merced, CA, 14 users on RingCentral RingEX Core come to $420.00 a month and on Ooma Office Pro $349.30, at month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026. Callata comes to $279.00 a month for 14 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Callata in Merced, CA

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in Merced, CA is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.