Watsonville, CA

Census Place

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2023 Population

51,968

0.932% 1-year decline

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

32.7

0.909% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

15.1%

9.7% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$74,785

3.44% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$657,700

4.38% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

22,231

2.67% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Watsonville, CA had a population of 52k people with a median age of 32.7 and a median household income of $74,785. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Watsonville, CA declined from 52,457 to 51,968, a −0.932% decrease and its median household income grew from $72,295 to $74,785, a 3.44% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Watsonville, CA are Other (Hispanic) (42.8%), Two+ (Hispanic) (19.1%), White (Hispanic) (17.9%), White (Non-Hispanic) (12.1%), and American Indian & Alaska Native (Hispanic) (2.57%).

None of the households in Watsonville, 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.

78.1% of the residents in Watsonville, CA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Watsonville, CA was $657,700, and the homeownership rate was 43.6%.

Most people in Watsonville, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Watsonville, CA was 2 cars per household.

United States California Santa Cruz County, CA Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Monterey County (North Central)--Seaside, Monterey, Marina & Pacific Grove Cities PUMA, CA Santa Cruz County (North)--Watsonville & Scotts Valley Cities PUMA, CA Santa Cruz County (South & Coastal)--Santa Cruz City PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

Watsonville, CA is home to a population of 52k people, from which 78.1% are citizens. As of 2023, 35.1% of Watsonville, CA residents were born outside of the country (18.3k people).

In 2023, there were 2.24 times more Other (Hispanic) residents (22.3k people) in Watsonville, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 9.93k Two+ (Hispanic) and 9.31k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

78.1%

2023 Citizenship

77.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 78.1% of Watsonville, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Watsonville, CA was 77.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Watsonville, CA

Other (Hispanic)
22.3k ± 1.62k
Two+ (Hispanic)
9.93k ± 1.56k
White (Hispanic)
9.31k ± 1.41k

83.5%

Hispanic Population

43.4k people

83.5% of the people in Watsonville, CA are hispanic (43.4k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Watsonville, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Watsonville, CA.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,899,021 ± 46,015 people
Philippines
824,230 ± 22,055 people
China
685,370 ± 20,148 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Watsonville, CA was Mexico, the natal country of 3,899,021 Watsonville, CA residents, followed by Philippines with 824,230 and China with 685,370.

Foreign-Born Population

35.1%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

18.3k people

35.6%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

18.7k people

As of 2023, 35.1% of Watsonville, CA residents (18.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Watsonville, CA was 35.6%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
353 ± 128
Gulf War (2001-)
152 ± 102
Korea
100 ± 82

Watsonville, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.32 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Watsonville, CA employs 22.2k people. The largest industries in Watsonville, CA are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (3,344 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,833 people), and Retail Trade (2,249 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($111,269), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($93,427), and Information ($83,750).

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $75,777. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is N/A, which is N/A than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

22.2k

2023 Value

± 1,310

−2.67%

1 Year decline

± 8.69%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Watsonville, CA declined at a rate of −2.67%, from 22.8k employees to 22.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Watsonville, CA, are Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (2,845 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,096 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,076 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Watsonville, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

22.2k

2023 Value

± 1,310

−2.67%

1 Year decline

± 8.69%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Watsonville, CA declined at a rate of −2.67%, from 22.8k employees to 22.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Watsonville, CA, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (3,344 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,833 people), and Retail Trade (2,249 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Watsonville, CA, though some of these residents may live in Watsonville, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,940

Median earning men ± $2,585

$33,807

Median earning women ± $2,186

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($77,411), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($68,988), and Public Administration ($68,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($172,547), Public Administration ($65,028), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($51,238).

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.

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Watsonville, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
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.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

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 California

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from California

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for California have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Watsonville, CA awarded 78 degrees. The student population of Watsonville, CA in 2022 is skewed towards men, with 58 male students and 45 female students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 103 students enrolled in Watsonville, CA, 56.3% men and 43.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in N/A with N/A records, of which N/A% were women and N/A% men.

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

Measure

In N/A, N/A% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while N/A% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in false were N/A.

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Watsonville, CA was $657,700 in 2023, which is 2.17 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $630,100 to $657,700, a 4.38% increase. The homeownership rate in Watsonville, CA is 43.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Watsonville, CA have an average commute time of 26.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Watsonville, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$657,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$20,435

$6,657

Median Property Taxes

±$737

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 Watsonville, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

The following map shows all of the places in Watsonville, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$74,785

Median Household Income

± $6,675

15.3k

Number of Households

± 1,125

In 2023, the median household income of the 15.3k households in Watsonville, CA grew to $74,785 from the previous year's value of $72,295.

The following chart displays the households in Watsonville, 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Watsonville, CA is from Watsonville, CA.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (70.1%)
Carpooled (16.7%)
Worked At Home (6.05%)

In 2023, 70.1% of workers in Watsonville, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (16.7%) and those who worked at home (6.05%).

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.

Commute Time

26.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Watsonville, CA have a longer commute time (26.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.07% of the workforce in Watsonville, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

15.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Watsonville, CA (7.8k out of 51.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Watsonville, 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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

90.2% of the population of Watsonville, CA has health coverage, with 35.6% on employee plans, 36.8% on Medicaid, 7.9% on Medicare, 9.57% on non-group plans, and 0.38% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Santa Cruz County, CA see 961 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.826% decrease from the previous year (969 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1169 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 109 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Santa Cruz County, CA.

961 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Santa Cruz County, CA

Primary care physicians in Santa Cruz County, CA see an average of 961 patients per year. This represents a 0.826% decrease from the previous year (969 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In N/A, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in .

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, N/A were men and N/A were women.

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

Uninsured People

9.82%

Uninsured

35.6%

Employer Coverage

36.8%

Medicaid

7.9%

Medicare

9.57%

Non-Group

0.38%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Watsonville, CA grew by 3.65% from 9.48% to 9.82%.

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

Keep Exploring

California

State

Santa Cruz County, CA

County

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

MSA

United States

Nation