Salinas is a city located in Monterey County California. Salinas has a 2024 population of 158,211. It is also the county seat of Monterey County. Salinas is currently declining at a rate of -0.81% annually and its population has decreased by -3.17% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 163,391 in 2020.
The average household income in Salinas is $102,219 with a poverty rate of 14.21%. The median age in Salinas is 31.7 years: 31.1 years for males, and 32.5 years for females.
Salinas, the county seat of Monterey County, is an urban area located 10 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River and just outside the Greater Bay Area.
About 38% of people in Salinas, CA were born outside the U.S. The city of Salinas has a Hispanic-majority population; nearly three quarters of its residents are Latino, many of them immigrants from Mexico who arrived to work in the region’s agricultural fields.
In 1870, just prior to being incorporated, the population stood at 599 people. This more than tripled in the ten years that followed and, as of the latest 2019 figures, the population of Salinas stands at 157,596.
Salinas struggles with a high youth crime rate, being dubbed the “youth murder capital of California.” On top of this, a lack of affordable housing has kept its growth rate from climbing in later years. The city is expected to continue its modest growth since recovering from the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
On September 9th, 1850, California was admitted to the Union and officially became a state. 1867 saw the first streets laid out for Salinas and the town was incorporated in 1874. Post-war, major urban and suburban development converted what was mainly farmland to a thriving city. The 1950s and 1960s saw a particularly large growth spurt, which was seen again in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Agriculture has always been the area's major industry. This “green gold” went some considerable way toward making Salinas one of the wealthiest cities per capita in the U.S. shortly after the end of World War I. Today, this fuels a $2 billion industry, supplying the country with 80% of its lettuce and artichokes, among many other crops.
Salinas is also the birthplace of Nobel Prize laureate John Steinbeck. The historic downtown district is home to the National Steinbeck Center, John Steinbeck House and the John Steinbeck Library.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Salinas was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
Other race | 92,686 | 56.94% |
White | 40,901 | 25.13% |
Two or more races | 16,376 | 10.06% |
Asian | 9,014 | 5.54% |
Black or African American | 1,987 | 1.22% |
Native American | 1,737 | 1.07% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 82 | 0.05% |
Other race
White
Two or more races
Asian
Black or African American
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 43,073 | 3.73 | 47.1 | 52.9 |
Married | 22,129 | 4.38 | 57.7 | 42.3 |
Non Family | 9,035 | 1.35 | 42.8 | 57.2 |
Female | 7,916 | 4.41 | 31.3 | 68.7 |
Male | 3,993 | 4.16 | 29.3 | 70.7 |
4.14
Average Family Size
3.73
Average Household Size
47.1%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 12,592 | 12.99% |
Associates Degree | 6,857 | 7.07% |
Bachelors Degree | 10,729 | 11.07% |
Graduate Degree | 3,844 | 3.97% |
High School Graduate | 22,559 | 23.27% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 24,211 | 24.98% |
Some College | 16,137 | 16.65% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 72,087 | 37,530 | 6,100 |
Other Race | 50,807 | 22,759 | 3,335 |
White | 15,503 | 14,353 | 5,131 |
2+ Races | 9,458 | 7,079 | 1,661 |
Asian | 6,868 | 6,210 | 2,684 |
Black | 1,332 | 1,049 | 293 |
Native American | 1,172 | 651 | 145 |
Islander | 70 | 40 | 7 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 92.58%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 39.08%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $67,445 | $81,925 | $63,261 |
Graduate Degree | $99,864 | $105,898 | $93,125 |
High School Graduate | $39,522 | $45,125 | $33,535 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $28,092 | $32,880 | $23,193 |
Overall | $38,189 | $41,576 | $34,652 |
Some College | $46,401 | $51,550 | $44,133 |
$38,189
Average Earnings
$41,576
Average Male
$34,652
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
27.69% of Salinas residents speak only English, while 72.31% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 68.07% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 129,503 | 19,862 | 15.34% |
Other | 91,947 | 16,200 | 17.62% |
White | 19,371 | 1,858 | 9.59% |
Multiple | 16,285 | 1,451 | 8.91% |
Asian | 8,947 | 743 | 8.3% |
Black | 1,866 | 262 | 14.04% |
Native | 1,710 | 171 | 10% |
Islander | 81 | 38 | 46.91% |
14.21%
Overall Poverty Rate
12.82%
Male Poverty Rate
15.65%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Salinas is Islander, with 46.91% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Salinas is Asian, with 8.3% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.18%. Among those working part-time, it was 11.84%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 24.43%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 16.18% |
High School | 10.31% |
Some College | 8.74% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.94% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 15.48% |
Male Unemployed | 10.56% |
Female Employed | 5.25% |
Male Employed | 4.5% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $84,338 | $103,535 |
Households | $84,250 | $102,219 |
Married Families | $98,312 | $122,497 |
Non Families | $55,021 | $71,969 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
43.4%
Overall Marriage Rate
43.9%
Male Marriage Rate
43.0%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
3,329
Number of Veterans
2,911
Male Veterans
418
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 1,013 |
First Gulf War | 786 |
Second Gulf War | 673 |
World War II | 248 |
Korea | 222 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
75+ | 848 |
65 to 74 | 847 |
35 to 54 | 742 |
55 to 64 | 667 |
18 to 34 | 225 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 1,730 | 5.54% |
Hispanic | 1,425 | 1.64% |
Other Race | 668 | 1.09% |
Asian | 414 | 5.56% |
2+ Races | 311 | 2.83% |
Black | 115 | 8.04% |
Native American | 47 | 3.35% |
Islander | 44 | 62.86% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
8.15%
Veteran Poverty Rate
33.72%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
62.2%
Labor Force Participation
59%
Employment Rate
5%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
56.68%
Born in Salinas
63.54%
Native Born
36.46%
Foreign Born
27.44%
Non Citizen
9.02%
Naturalized
63.54% of Salinas residents were born in the United States, with 56.68% having been born in California. 27.44% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 151,736 | -1,295 | -0.85% |
2028 | 153,031 | -1,295 | -0.84% |
2027 | 154,326 | -1,295 | -0.83% |
2026 | 155,621 | -1,295 | -0.83% |
2025 | 156,916 | -1,295 | -0.82% |
2024 | 158,211 | -1,295 | -0.81% |
2023 | 159,506 | -1,214 | -0.76% |
2022 | 160,720 | -2,174 | -1.33% |
2021 | 162,894 | -497 | -0.3% |
2020 | 163,391 | 7,453 | 4.78% |
2019 | 155,938 | -419 | -0.27% |
2018 | 156,357 | -406 | -0.26% |
2017 | 156,763 | -218 | -0.14% |
2016 | 156,981 | 634 | 0.41% |
2015 | 156,347 | 525 | 0.34% |
2014 | 155,822 | 879 | 0.57% |
2013 | 154,943 | 1,255 | 0.82% |
2012 | 153,688 | 1,532 | 1.01% |
2011 | 152,156 | 1,358 | 0.9% |
2010 | 150,798 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 151,060 | 42,283 | 38.87% |
1990 | 108,777 | 28,298 | 35.16% |
1980 | 80,479 | 21,583 | 36.65% |
1970 | 58,896 | 29,939 | 103.39% |
1960 | 28,957 | 15,040 | 108.07% |
1950 | 13,917 | 2,331 | 20.12% |
1940 | 11,586 | 1,323 | 12.89% |
1930 | 10,263 | 5,955 | 138.23% |
1920 | 4,308 | 572 | 15.31% |
1910 | 3,736 | 432 | 13.08% |
1900 | 3,304 | 965 | 41.26% |
1890 | 2,339 | 485 | 26.16% |
1880 | 1,854 | 1,255 | 209.52% |
1870 | 599 | -151,137 | -99.61% |