Livingston Union, CA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Livingston Union

Livingston Union serves kindergarten through eighth grade across a rural area of Merced County, drawing from a student population that is predominantly Hispanic and diverse in other ways as well. The district is small to mid-sized, with schools spread across Livingston and nearby areas. Housing in the district's communities is moderately priced compared to state and national benchmarks, and families here work in agriculture, service, and related industries common to the Central Valley.

Academic performance across Livingston Union is below the midpoint among Merced County's districts. In English language arts, proficiency rates span from the mid-thirties in grades three and four, dip in the middle grades, then rise slightly in grade eight. Math proficiency is consistently lower, starting around mid-forties in third grade but dropping sharply by fifth grade and remaining in the mid-teens through eighth grade. Science proficiency, measured in grades five and eight, sits in the low twenties. These results show a pattern of increasing difficulty as students move into middle school, particularly in mathematics. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school on the supports available for students who do not meet proficiency benchmarks and what intervention or tutoring pathways exist.

What sets Livingston Union apart is a deliberate investment in student support beyond academics. The district has built a comprehensive school counseling program funded through California's Local Control Funding Formula. Counselors are stationed at each campus and meet individually with every student and family during fourth and seventh grades, a practice that goes deeper than what is typical statewide. This sustained commitment to mental health, attendance, and climate has produced measurable results. Chronic absenteeism in the district is above the midpoint among county peers, meaning it sits higher than the median, but publicly reported data shows the district has lowered both absenteeism and suspension rates in recent years, outpacing statewide trends. That reduction happened even as statewide suspension rates rose, suggesting the counseling model is working to keep students engaged and in school.

The district's per-pupil spending falls in the middle range, lower half among county districts, so families should not expect unusually high resources or specialized programs beyond the counseling infrastructure. The district does not serve high school grades, so families will need to plan for a transition to a high school district at the end of eighth grade. No recent major bond or tax measure surfaced in public records, so growth or facility improvements are not a visible near-term agenda.

For a family in this area, Livingston Union represents a rural, predominantly Hispanic, lower-income district with below-average test scores but a genuine, systemwide commitment to keeping students in school and supporting their social and emotional growth. The counseling program is not a replacement for strong classroom instruction or tutoring in core subjects, but it reflects a real choice the district has made about what matters to its students' well-being.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

2,545

Grades

KG–08

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 83%

Black 0%

White 3%

Asian 13%

Two+ 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

28%

—

Gr 3

27%

60%

Gr 4

32%

47%

Gr 5

35%

57%

Gr 6

23%

49%

Gr 7

19%

30%

Gr 8

28%

50%

Math

Gr ALL

22%

—

Gr 3

37%

69%

Gr 4

31%

39%

Gr 5

20%

37%

Gr 6

13%

31%

Gr 7

15%

27%

Gr 8

14%

23%

Science

Gr 5

15%

29%

Gr 8

18%

40%

Gr HS

17%

—

Schools in this District

5 schools are officially reported under this district.

Campus Park Elementary

Livingston Middle

Selma Herndon Elementary

Yamato Colony Elementary

Livingston Stepping Stones Preschool

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

44%

Grade 3

33%

Grade 4

24%

Grade 5

17%

Grade 6

18%

Grade 7

16%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

35%

Grade 3

35%

Grade 4

40%

Grade 5

29%

Grade 6

22%

Grade 7

33%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

18%

Grade 5

23%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

54%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$426,995

Year-over-year change-2.3%

Range across 2 ZIP codes$423K to $427K

vs. state typical0.55x

vs. national typical1.16x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
95334	Livingston	$427K	-2.5%	93.4%
95301	Atwater	$423K	+0.5%	6.6%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,724/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
95301	Atwater	$1,724	—	6.6%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,155/mo

Home price / national median income5.1x

Annual rent / national median income24.7%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$430/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.