City · Monterey County, California

Gonzales, California

Gonzales is a city in Monterey County, California, part of the Salinas, CA metro area. It has 8,492 residents. Gonzales, California has a quality-of-life score of 42 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #9,100 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #493 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on comfortable days (high), drought exposure (low) and job growth (high). It ranks worst on high school diploma or higher (low), poor or fair health (high) and math scores (low).

42Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #9,100 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #493 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 8,492 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 4,263.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 0630392

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 76 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety46#8,442/15,637
Economy58#6,508/15,631
Housing13#13,036/14,977
Health59#6,373/15,609
Healthcare51#7,649/15,650
Environment94#891/15,453
Education0#15,619/15,649
Infrastructure55#7,005/15,650
Community20#12,455/15,651
Leisure & amenities63#5,825/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Gonzales, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Monterey County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Comfortable days · high46.7%
99/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationMonterey County value
Drought exposure · low0%
98/100California 9%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAMonterey County value
Job growth · high3.7%
96/100California 0.9%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMonterey County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.2 µg/m³
95/100California 9.4 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMonterey County value
Grocery stores · high2.7 /10k
92/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMonterey County value
Firearm deaths · low4.6 /100k
90/100California 6.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMonterey County value

Weaknesses

High school diploma or higher · low61.0%
2/100California 84.7%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Poor or fair health · high34.6%
2/100California 21.5%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Math scores · low2.49
3/100California 2.79United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMonterey County value
Home price to income ratio · high8.0×
3/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Reading scores · low2.58
4/100California 2.91United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMonterey County value
Food insecurity · high34.7%
5/100California 18.5%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.0% (2015-2019) → 95.7% (2020-2024)
+20 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
5.4× (2015-2019) → 8.0× (2020-2024)
+47%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
High school diploma or higherImproving
53.7% (2015-2019) → 61.0% (2020-2024)
+7.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Child poverty rateImproving
14.7% (2015-2019) → 7.5% (2020-2024)
−7.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
49.4% (2015-2019) → 53.5% (2020-2024)
+4.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
11.7% (2015-2019) → 15.8% (2020-2024)
+4 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Gonzales, California improved on 1 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+20 points76.0% → 95.7%

Declined2

Price / income+2.5×5.4× → 8.0×
Inequality+0.0610.345 → 0.406

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Gonzales, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.1 min2015-2019	27.0 min2020-2024	+2.9 min	Within the margin of error	20%
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.5%2015-2019	9.7%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Broadband subscriptions	76.0%2015-2019	95.7%2020-2024	+20 points	Improved	90%
Effective property tax rate	0.66%2015-2019	0.66%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	16%
High school diploma or higher	53.7%2015-2019	61.0%2020-2024	+7.3 points	Within the margin of error	90%
Home price to income ratio	5.4×2015-2019	8.0×2020-2024	+2.5×	Declined	2%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3452015-2019	0.4062020-2024	+0.061	Declined	12%
Median household income	$65,5272015-2019	$77,6722020-2024	+19%	Within the margin of error	30%
Poverty rate	10.1%2015-2019	6.4%2020-2024	−3.7 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Rent as share of income	29.9%2015-2019	33.4%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Rent-burdened households	49.4%2015-2019	53.5%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.7%2015-2019	15.8%2020-2024	+4 points	Within the margin of error	14%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Gonzales, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Gonzales, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Gonzales, California itself moved −4.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

8,492 residents (±28)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 women (+6.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

8,492 residents (±28)

Gonzales, California
California share

White3.8%†322
Black0.4%†31
Hispanic or Latino95%8,079

Education

4,787 residents (±338)

Gonzales, California
California share

No high school diploma39%1,869
High school or GED29%1,397
Some college20%961

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,280 households (±219)

Gonzales, California
California share

Under $25k5.9%†135
$25k–50k26%†589
$50k–75k17%†377
$75k–100k8.5%†193
$100k–150k21%†473
$150k–200k11%†244
$200k or more12%†269

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+10.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,280 households (±219)

Gonzales, California
California share

Own55%1,255
Rent45%1,025

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

994 households (±209)

Gonzales, California
California share

Under $7505.3%†53
$750–1,0007.1%†71
$1,000–1,50036%†

Home values

1,255 homes (±235)

Gonzales, California
California share

Under $150k3.3%†42
$150k–250k0.0%0
$250k–400k4.5%†56

Age of homes

2,294 homes (±217)

Gonzales, California
California share

2010 or later4.1%†94
2000–200918%†416
1980–199928%†638

Size of homes

2,294 homes (±217)

Gonzales, California
California share

Studio13%†289
1 bedroom6.0%†137
2 bedrooms22%†514

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

3,833 workers (±438)

Gonzales, California
California share

Drive alone80%3,073
Carpool12%†456
Public transit0.7%†27
Walk2.5%†94
Bike0.0%0
Work from home1.9%†74
Other2.8%†109

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other (−6.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

3,759 workers (±432)

Gonzales, California
California share

Under 15 min9.7%†364
15–29 min57%2,148
30–44 min24%919

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Salinas, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Monterey County, the county holding most of Gonzales's residents.

Monterey County has 9,212 employer establishments, 212 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248; 0.81× California's), with 116,784 paid employees at an average annual pay of $60,396. The Census Bureau also counts 28,349 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 9,212; 28,349 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 212; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 116,784
Average annual pay: $60,396; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Monterey County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	818	18.8	1.03×About typical	14,568	$29,732	163
Ambulatory health care services	766	17.6	0.85×About typical	6,481	$78,295	1,260
Specialty trade contractors	681	15.7	1.01×About typical	4,057	$70,112	1,209
Lessors of real estate	456	10.5	0.85×About typical	1,481	$59,182	2,805
Construction of buildings	405	9.3	1.23×About typical	2,064	$69,577	940
Full-service restaurants	380	8.8	1.14×About typical	7,385	$34,088	53
Services to buildings and dwellings	319	7.3	1.09×About typical	1,942	$41,626	2,153
Limited-service restaurants	305	7	0.88×About typical	5,469	$24,822	51
Building equipment contractors	268	6.2	1.03×About typical	1,532	$72,736	296
Offices of physicians	267	6.2	0.95×About typical	1,788	$112,636	314
Truck transportation	247	5.7	1.13×About typical	1,132	$67,152	468
Building finishing contractors	241	5.6	1.46×More than typical	1,303	$59,276	402

Rank places for an industry Open Monterey County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 434,107 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Gonzales is mostly in Monterey County.

See federal money in Monterey County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Gonzales, California is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).