If you’re heading to UC Merced and starting to think about where you’ll actually live, here’s what you need to know before you start touring places.

Whether you need a car near UC Merced depends almost entirely on which neighborhood you choose — here’s what’s actually available.

Public transit and campus shuttles

The Cat-Tracks campus shuttle and local Merced transit routes; Merced is smaller and less transit-dense than most other UC towns, so a bike or car helps. Cat-Tracks, UC Merced’s free campus and community shuttle system.

Biking

Biking is worth seriously considering near UC Merced, especially if you’re in one of the closer-in neighborhoods — check the terrain and traffic patterns of your specific route before committing to it as your main way to get to class, since conditions vary a lot block to block.

Parking, if you do have a car

Street parking and permits near campus are usually more limited and more expensive than incoming students expect — factor a parking permit or garage cost into your budget if you’re planning to bring a car, rather than assuming free street parking will be available.

The honest tradeoff

Living further from UC Merced usually means needing a car (and paying for gas, insurance, and parking) to make up for the commute. Living closer usually means paying more rent but being able to skip the car entirely. Neither is objectively right — it depends on whether you’d rather pay in rent or in transportation costs.

Filter listings near UC Merced by neighborhood on RentNova if transit access is a top priority for your search.