Salinas, CA

Census Place

Add Comparison

2021 Population

163,004

4.37% 1-year growth

US Senator

Dianne Feinstein

Democratic Party

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

31.3

0.968% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

14.3%

0.739% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$75,747

11.5% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$477,200

5.81% 1-year growth

2021 Employed Population

70,942

3% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Salinas, CA had a population of 163k people with a median age of 31.3 and a median household income of $75,747. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Salinas, CA grew from 156,177 to 163,004, a 4.37% increase and its median household income grew from $67,914 to $75,747, a 11.5% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Salinas, CA are Other (Hispanic) (55.5%), White (Hispanic) (15.5%), White (Non-Hispanic) (12.2%), Two+ (Hispanic) (7.19%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.44%).

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.

72.7% of the residents in Salinas, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Salinas, CA are Hartnell College (2,352 degrees awarded in 2021), Central Coast College (232 degrees), and CET-Salinas (111799) (130 degrees).

In 2021, the median property value in Salinas, CA was $477,200, and the homeownership rate was 47%.

Most people in Salinas, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Salinas, CA was 2 cars per household.

United States California Monterey County, CA Salinas, CA Salinas City PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

Salinas, CA is home to a population of 163k people, from which 72.7% are citizens. As of 2021, 36.4% of Salinas, CA residents were born outside of the country (59.3k people).

In 2021, there were 3.58 times more Other (Hispanic) residents (90.5k people) in Salinas, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 25.3k White (Hispanic) and 19.9k White (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

72.7%

2021 Citizenship

72.6%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 72.7% of Salinas, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Salinas, CA was 72.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Salinas, CA

Other (Hispanic)
90.5k ± 3.14k
White (Hispanic)
25.3k ± 2.53k
White (Non-Hispanic)
19.9k ± 1.26k

79.8%

Hispanic Population

130k people

79.8% of the people in Salinas, CA are hispanic (130k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Salinas, 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 California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,959,545 ± 46,338 people
Philippines
828,655 ± 22,113 people
China
680,942 ± 20,084 people

In 2021, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,959,545 California residents, followed by Philippines with 828,655 and China with 680,942.

Foreign-Born Population

36.4%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

59.3k people

36.5%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

57k people

As of 2021, 36.4% of Salinas, CA residents (59.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Salinas, CA was 36.5%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
981 ± 182
Gulf War (2001-)
576 ± 182
Gulf War (1990s)
519 ± 194

Salinas, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.7 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Salinas, CA employs 70.9k people. The largest industries in Salinas, CA are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (15,250 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,017 people), and Retail Trade (7,135 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($82,616), Public Administration ($67,250), and Finance & Insurance ($51,820).

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $69,050. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.497, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

70.9k

2021 Value

± 2,193

1 Year growth

± 4.26%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Salinas, CA grew at a rate of 3%, from 68.9k employees to 70.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Salinas, CA, are Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (11,031 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,950 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (6,364 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Salinas, 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.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

70.9k

2021 Value

± 2,193

1 Year growth

± 4.26%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Salinas, CA grew at a rate of 3%, from 68.9k employees to 70.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Salinas, CA, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (15,250 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (8,017 people), and Retail Trade (7,135 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$36,022

Median earning men ± $1,895

$30,927

Median earning women ± $1,137

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Public Administration ($86,571), Information ($50,854), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($49,539).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Information ($58,333), Public Administration ($52,828), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,083).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in California. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

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

View Full Dashboard

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound California product (by dollars) was Electronics with $405B, followed by Mixed freight ($159B) and Pharmaceuticals ($155B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound California products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for California.

$2.21T

2020 Value in California

$4.61T

Projected 2050 Value in California

109% growth

In 2020, total outbound California trade was $2.21T. This is expected to increase 109% to $4.61T by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound California trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Most Common Trade Partners

Texas
$84.4B
Arizona
$44.8B
Ohio
$40.6B

In 2020, the top outbound California domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $84.4B, followed by Arizona with $44.8B and Ohio and $40.6B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that California shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 63.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.3%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.07%).

Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla 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 Salinas, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (63.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (34.3%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.07%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 63.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.3%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.07%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

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

Dianne Feinstein

Senator from California

Assumed office on November 10, 1992
Elected to the seat to succeed John Seymour (California politician)|John Seymour, who had been appointed to the seat after Pete Wilson was elected Governor of California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 18, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla 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 2021, universities in Salinas, CA awarded 2,734 degrees. The student population of Salinas, CA in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 4,765 male students and 5,577 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Salinas, CA are Hispanic or Latino (2,335 and 85.4%), followed by White (149 and 5.45%), Asian (136 and 4.97%), and Unknown (38 and 1.39%).

The largest universities in Salinas, CA by number of degrees awarded are Hartnell College (2,352 and 86%), Central Coast College (232 and 8.49%), and CET-Salinas (111799) (130 and 4.75%).

The most popular majors in Salinas, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,323 and 48.4%), Medical Assistant (182 and 6.66%), and General Psychology (137 and 5.01%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

Measure

In 2018 in Salinas, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 95.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 73.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2021 was 10,342 (46.1% men and 53.9% 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.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2021 there were 10,342 students enrolled in Salinas, CA, 46.1% men and 53.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 7,105 records, of which 58.4% were women and 41.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
468 degrees awarded
General Psychology
137 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
93 degrees awarded

In 2021, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Salinas, CA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 468 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Hartnell College
2,352 degrees awarded
Central Coast College
232 degrees awarded
CET-Salinas (111799)
130 degrees awarded

In 2021, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Hartnell College with 2,352 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2021, 720 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Salinas, CA, which is 0.357 times less than the 2,014 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2021 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 2,335 degrees mean that there were 15.7 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 149 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($1,380) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2021.

Public, 2-year ($20) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2021.

Public, 2-year ($1,971) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2021, 1.89% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.12% 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 California.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were Some college (7.01M), High School or Equivalent (6.74M), and Bachelors Degree (6.25M).

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 Salinas, CA was $477,200 in 2021, which is 1.95 times larger than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $451,000 to $477,200, a 5.81% increase. The homeownership rate in Salinas, CA is 47%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Salinas, CA have an average commute time of 24.9 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.

Median household income in Salinas, CA is $75,747. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Salinas, CA was Census Tract 106.03 with a value of $117,415, followed by Census Tract 1.04 and Census Tract 106.08, with respective values of $100,519 and $97,361.

Housing

Property

$477,200

Median Property Value 2021

±$7,072

$20,223

Median Property Taxes

±$1,013

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.

Rent vs Own

47%

Homeownership

2021

73.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 47% of the housing units in Salinas, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 47.9%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 106.03
Census Tract 1.04
Census Tract 106.08

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Salinas, CA was Census Tract 106.03 with a value of $117,415, followed by Census Tract 1.04 and Census Tract 106.08, with respective values of $100,519 and $97,361.

The following map shows all of the places in Salinas, 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.

$75,747

Median Household Income

± $2,723

43k

Number of Households

± 1,619

In 2021, the median household income of the 43k households in Salinas, CA grew to $75,747 from the previous year's value of $67,914.

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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Salinas, CA is from California.

0.497

2021 Wage GINI in California

0.498

2020 Wage GINI in California

In 2021, the income inequality in California was 0.497 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.12% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (71%)
Other (12.5%)
Carpooled (11.2%)

In 2021, 71% of workers in Salinas, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who used some unspecified means to get work (12.5%) and those who carpooled to work (11.2%).

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

24.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Salinas, CA have a shorter commute time (24.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 2.58% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Salinas, CA (23.2k out of 162k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

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.

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

86.9% of the population of Salinas, CA has health coverage, with 39.4% on employee plans, 33.2% on Medicaid, 5.64% on Medicare, 8.14% on non-group plans, and 0.55% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Monterey County, CA see 1528 patients per year on average, which represents a 3.9% decrease from the previous year (1590 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1413 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 240 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

1,528 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Monterey County, CA

Primary care physicians in Monterey County, CA see an average of 1,528 patients per year. This represents a 3.9% decrease from the previous year (1,590 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 32.5% under 18 years, 23.6% between 18 and 34 years, 34.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 9.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

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

Uninsured People

13.1%

Uninsured

39.4%

Employer Coverage

33.2%

Medicaid

5.64%

Medicare

8.14%

Non-Group

0.55%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Salinas, CA grew by 5.16% from 12.4% to 13.1%.

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.