City · Monterey County, California

Salinas, California

Salinas is a city in Monterey County, California, part of the Salinas, CA metro area. It has 161,761 residents. Salinas, California has a quality-of-life score of 42 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #9,046 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #490 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), math scores (low) and reading scores (low).

42Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #9,046 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #490 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 161,761 (2020-2024)
Land area: 24 mi²
Density: 6,879.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 0664224

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
Economy47#8,268/15,631
Housing16#12,585/14,977
Health66#5,350/15,609
Healthcare53#7,339/15,650
Environment94#891/15,453
Education1#15,500/15,649
Infrastructure56#6,936/15,650
Community21#12,413/15,651
Leisure & amenities63#5,825/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Salinas, 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 · low62.3%
0/100California 84.7%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Math scores · low2.49
3/100California 2.79United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMonterey County value
Reading scores · low2.58
4/100California 2.91United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMonterey County value
Home price to income ratio · high7.1×
5/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Students per teacher · high21.3×
5/100California 21.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsMonterey County value
Poor or fair health · high30.2%
6/100California 21.5%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

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

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
82.8% (2015-2019) → 94.4% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$61,527 (2015-2019) → $91,908 (2020-2024)
+49%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Child poverty rateImproving
25.5% (2015-2019) → 17.7% (2020-2024)
−7.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
58.7% (2015-2019) → 54.3% (2020-2024)
−4.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
New homes permittedImproving
1.2 /1k (2021) → 1.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+18%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Poverty rateImproving
16.8% (2015-2019) → 13.6% (2020-2024)
−3.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

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, Salinas, California improved on 6 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 6 moved within the margin of error and 1 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.

Improved6

Household income+49%$61,527 → $91,908
Child poverty−7.8 points25.5% → 17.7%
Poverty−3.2 points16.8% → 13.6%
High school++3 points59.2% → 62.2%
Broadband+12 points82.8% → 94.4%

Declined2

Commute+2.9 min23.7 min → 26.6 min
Price / income+0.4×6.7× → 7.1×

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Salinas, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.7 min2015-2019	26.6 min2020-2024	+2.9 min	Declined	20%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.3%2015-2019	16.5%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Improved	53%
Broadband subscriptions	82.8%2015-2019	94.4%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	67%
Child poverty rate	25.5%2015-2019	17.7%2020-2024	−7.8 points	Improved	77%
Effective property tax rate	0.81%2015-2019	0.63%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	53%
High school diploma or higher	59.2%2015-2019	62.2%2020-2024	+3 points	Improved	68%
Home price to income ratio	6.7×2015-2019	7.1×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	56%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4132015-2019	0.4112020-2024	−0.001	Within the margin of error	52%
Median household income	$61,5272015-2019	$91,9082020-2024	+49%	Improved	84%
Poverty rate	16.8%2015-2019	13.6%2020-2024	−3.2 points	Improved	71%
Public transit commuters	0.9%2015-2019	0.7%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Rent as share of income	33.7%2015-2019	32.2%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Rent-burdened households	58.7%2015-2019	54.3%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Unemployment rate	4.9%2015-2019	4.7%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	14.3%2015-2019	13.4%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	57%

“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 Salinas, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Salinas, 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, Salinas, California itself moved +5.4 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

161,761 residents (±59)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

43,620 households (±749)

Salinas, California
California share

Under $25k11%4,839
$25k–50k15%6,424
$50k–75k15%6,362

Homes

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

Owners and renters

43,620 households (±749)

Salinas, California
California share

Own47%20,491
Rent53%23,129

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.2 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

67,964 workers (±1,501)

Salinas, California
California share

Drive alone74%50,402
Carpool11%7,383
Public transit0.7%†497

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 Salinas'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

In FY2026, an estimated $2,924 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Salinas, California: $0.02 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $2,924; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.02; US $1,994
Sole-source: 100%; US 30%
Single offer: 100%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Agricultural Research Service$553K100%
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service$24.3K100%
Defense Logistics Agency$4,278100%

Top recipients

BROWN POINT FACILITY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC$418.8K100%
RANA CREEK HABITAT RESTORATION$105.2K100%
RAD SOURCE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.$24.3K100%
VISIONARY EXPERTS LLC$22.5K100%
TECH O. R., LLC$11.8K100%

Spending by fiscal year

2.1MFY2017
2MFY2018
5.1MFY2019
78.7MFY2020
6.1MFY2021
4.1MFY2022
4.3MFY2023
2.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$105.2K100%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$24.3K100%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$22.5K100%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$11.8K100%
Waste treatment and disposal · 5622$4,278100%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Salinas, California

2000007716/4100023266/STRAWBERRY SLICES FRZ CTN-30 LB,STRAWBERRY WHOLE UNSWT IQF CTN-6/5 LB,STRAWBERRY SLICES UNSWT IQF CTN-6/5 LB$14.1M
INN FOODS, INC.· Monterey County, CA· Other equipment & supplies· May 21, 2021 – Feb 9, 2026· 123J1421C1603
MCNARY GUARD SERVICES$2.3M
CONDOR SECURITY OF AMERICA INC· Monterey County, CA· Facilities & utilities· Apr 29, 2020 – Feb 4, 2026· W912EF20C0009
REGION 6 FIS OY1 TASK ORDER - FFP$1.2M
TIDEWATER, INC.· Monterey County, CA· Facilities & utilities· Dec 22, 2022 – Mar 17, 2026· W9127S23F6024
BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND JANITORIAL SERVICES

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Salinas, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Salinas, California's figures are part of those of Monterey County, CA ($571.5M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Salinas 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.

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

House

Senate

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Monterey County59100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Salinas, CA61

Other cities and towns in Monterey County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0664224

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends