Salinas, CA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Add Comparison
2024 Population
437,613
US Senator
Alex Padilla
Democratic Party
US Senator
Adam Schiff
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
35.5
0.567% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
12.7%
1.2% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$97,230
2.9% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$781,000
8.01% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
186,765
0.384% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Salinas, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

79.5% of the residents in Salinas, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Salinas, CA are Naval Postgraduate School (2,710 degrees awarded in 2023), California State University-Monterey Bay (2,275 degrees), and Hartnell College (1,923 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Salinas, CA was $781,000, and the homeownership rate was 52.1%.

Most people in Salinas, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Salinas, CA was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Pfeiffer Beach Big Sur
Photo by Greg Balzer
United StatesCalifornia

Population & Diversity

Salinas, CA is home to a population of 438k people, from which 79.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 29.6% of Salinas, CA residents were born outside of the country (130k people).

In 2024, there were 1.42 times more Other (Hispanic) residents (167k people) in Salinas, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 118k White (Non-Hispanic) and 50.7k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

79.5%
2024 Citizenship
80%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 79.5% of Salinas, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Salinas, CA was 80%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Salinas, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Salinas, CA
  1. Other (Hispanic)
    167k ± 3.83k
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    118k ± 484
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    50.7k ± 3.58k
61.6%
Hispanic Population
269k people

In 2024, there were 1.42 times more Other (Hispanic) residents (167k people) in Salinas, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 118k White (Non-Hispanic) and 50.7k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

61.6% of the people in Salinas, CA are hispanic (269k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Salinas, CA as a share of the total population.

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for California.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    3,862,617 ± 45,816 people
  2. Philippines
    824,246 ± 22,054 people
  3. China
    687,951 ± 20,184 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,862,617 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,246 and China with 687,951.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

29.6%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
130k people
28.8%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
125k people

As of 2024, 29.6% of Salinas, CA residents (130k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Salinas, CA was 28.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Salinas, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    4,127 ± 343
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    3,360 ± 461
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    1,921 ± 358

Salinas, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.23 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Salinas, CA.

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Salinas, CA employs 187k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Salinas, CA were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (26,627 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (21,968 people), and Educational Services (18,232 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($116,250), Finance & Insurance ($102,798), and Public Administration ($86,733).

Employment

Occupations

187k
2024 Value
± 3,628
0.384%
1 Year growth
± 2.76%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Salinas, CA grew at a rate of 0.384%, from 186k employees to 187k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Salinas, CA, are Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (19,378 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (17,023 people), and Management Occupations (16,486 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Salinas, CA.

View Data
Save Image

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Data
Save Image

Industries

Employment by Industries

187k
2024 Value
± 3,628
0.384%
1 Year growth
± 2.76%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Salinas, CA grew at a rate of 0.384%, from 186k employees to 187k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Salinas, CA, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (26,627 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (21,968 people), and Educational Services (18,232 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Salinas, CA, though some of these residents may live in Salinas, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,454
Median earning men ± $1,073
$40,108
Median earning women ± $1,124

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($101,381), Public Administration ($96,917), and Information ($81,439).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($77,718), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,854), and Information ($61,808).

View Data
Save Image

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Y-Axis
2.57%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

View Data
Save Image

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 690
    Construction
  2. 589
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  3. 536
    Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

View Data
Save Image

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $1.44M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $722k
    Accommodation and Food Services
  3. $691k
    Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

View Data
Save Image

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Salinas, CA. Showing the available data for California.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (58.5%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
    Republican Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

View Data
Save Image

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Alex Padilla
Senator from California3
Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.
Adam Schiff
Senator from California1
Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

View Data
Save Image

Education

In 2023, universities in Salinas, CA awarded 9,085 degrees. The student population of Salinas, CA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 12,340 male students and 14,311 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Salinas, CA are Hispanic or Latino (4,204 and 48.2%), White (3,019 and 34.6%), Asian (494 and 5.66%), and Unknown (400 and 4.59%).

The largest universities in Salinas, CA by number of degrees awarded are Naval Postgraduate School (2,710 and 29.8%), California State University-Monterey Bay (2,275 and 25%), and Hartnell College (1,923 and 21.2%).

The most popular majors in Salinas, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,504 and 16.6%), General Business Administration & Management (995 and 11%), and General Psychology (461 and 5.07%).

The median tuition costs in Salinas, CA are $46,556 for private four year colleges, and $5,742 and $17,622 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Salinas, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 94.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 8.45%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 26,651 (46.3% men and 53.7% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

View Data
Save Image

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 26,651 students enrolled in Salinas, CA, 46.3% men and 53.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 15,535 records, of which 58.7% were women and 41.3% men.

View Data
Save Image

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Psychology
    293 degrees awarded
  2. General Business Administration & Management
    241 degrees awarded
  3. Computer Science
    207 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Salinas, CA was General Psychology with 293 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Salinas, CA according to their major.

View Data
Save Image

Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Naval Postgraduate School
    2,710 degrees awarded
  2. California State University-Monterey Bay
    2,275 degrees awarded
  3. Hartnell College
    1,923 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Naval Postgraduate School with 2,710 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 4,432 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Salinas, CA, which is 0.953 times less than the 4,653 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 4,204 degrees mean that there were 1.39 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 3,019 degrees awarded.

View Data
Save Image

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($46,556) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,695) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,152) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Salinas, CA was $781,000 in 2024, which is 2.35 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $723,100 to $781,000, a 8.01% increase. The homeownership rate in Salinas, CA is 52.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Salinas, CA have an average commute time of 25.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Salinas, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$781,000
Median Property Value 2024
±$13,801
$68,993
Median Property Taxes
±$1,767

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Salinas, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Salinas, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

52.1%
Homeownership
2024
70.1%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 52.1% of the housing units in Salinas, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 52.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Salinas, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$97,230
Median Household Income
± $1,883
132k
Number of Households
± 2,877

In 2024, the median household income of the 132k households in Salinas, CA grew to $97,230 from the previous year's value of $94,486.

The following chart displays the households in Salinas, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Salinas, CA is from California.
0.495
2023 Wage GINI in California
0.498
2022 Wage GINI in California

In 2023, the income inequality in California was 0.495 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.573% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

View Data
Save Image

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (70.3%)
  2. Carpooled (9.87%)
  3. Worked At Home (9.85%)

In 2024, 70.3% of workers in Salinas, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.87%) and those who worked at home (9.85%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

25.4 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Salinas, CA have a shorter commute time (25.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.94% of the workforce in Salinas, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Salinas, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Salinas, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Salinas, CA have 2 cars.

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Salinas, CA (53.6k out of 421k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Salinas, CA is Hispanic, followed by Other and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

View Data
Save Image

Health

90.4% of the population of Salinas, CA has health coverage, with 38.3% on employee plans, 29.6% on Medicaid, 9.81% on Medicare, 11.3% on non-group plans, and 1.42% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
1,233 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in California

Primary care physicians in California see an average of 1,233 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in California in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

View Data
Save Image

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 28% under 18 years, 21.1% between 18 and 34 years, 35.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

9.57%
Uninsured
38.3%
Employer Coverage
29.6%
Medicaid
9.81%
Medicare
11.3%
Non-Group
1.42%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Salinas, CA declined by 3.77% from 9.94% to 9.57%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Salinas, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

View Data
Save Image