Salinas is home to 161,761 people in California. The foreign-born share is 37%. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 32.4. 47% of homes are owner-occupied. That puts it in the top 10% of US cities for household income.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $91,908, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 89%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Salinas
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share50.0% → 80.9%(+30.8 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree13.0% → 16.5%(+3.5 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
White share38.9% → 11.0%(−27.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Salinas's population equals 37% of Monterey County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 16% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 20% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.4%(542)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.7%(667)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era24.4%(718)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.5%(220)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II4.8%(141)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,943 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Salinas, decade by decade
Salinas population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
108,777
$75,053
$384,731
13.0%
74.0
2000
151,060
$79,643
$345,204
12.3%
65.6
2010
150,441
$73,091
$600,459
13.5%
51.3
2020
163,542
$82,314
$546,630
16.0%
43.8
2024
161,761
$91,908
$654,100
16.5%
41.3
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
