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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Salinas

California · 151,060 residents · 23.5 sq mi
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The short version

With 151,060 people, Salinas is a city in California. This skews young, with a median age of 28.5. Owners hold 50% of the housing stock. Growth has run 39% since 1990, or 42,283 more people. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 12% of adults. The typical home is worth $189,500.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 28.5
US median: 35.2
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 10%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

151,060
+39%since 1990
from 108,777 in 1990
1990 – 2025
28.5
+2%since 1990
from 27.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
23.5 sq mi
Population, 19902024
103K120K136K153K169K19902000201020202024Salinas
2024162K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 59.3%(13,988)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 99.6%(14,509)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 148.3%(12,514)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 198.2%(12,350)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 248.5%(12,821)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3417.9%(27,095)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.7%(23,763)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5410.2%(15,397)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 645.3%(7,950)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 743.8%(5,704)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 842.4%(3,648)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over0.9%(1,321)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$43,720
+6%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $31,271 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
$14,495
+28%since 1990
from $11,351 in 1990
US average: $21,522
16.7%
+1.1 ptssince 1990
from 15.6% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

$189,500
−10%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $160,300 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
$725
−5%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $580 in 1990
US average: $602
50.1%
+3.9 ptssince 1990
from 46.3% in 1990
49.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic54.7%(59,538)
Black3%(3,242)
Hispanic / Latino50%(54,428)
Asian8%(8,685)
2000
White, non-Hispanic24.2%(36,535)
Black3%(4,569)
Hispanic / Latino64.1%(96,880)
Asian5.9%(8,840)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican74.8%(120,964)
Central American3.2%(5,116)
Salvadoran2.4%(3,845)
Argentine0.6%(1,025)
Puerto Rican0.5%(887)
Guatemalan0.4%(635)
Spaniard0.4%(592)
Honduran0.3%(445)
Peruvian0.2%(247)
Cuban0.1%(242)
Uruguayan0.1%(156)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(110)
Colombian0.1%(91)
Asian origin
Filipino3.4%(5,455)
Chinese1%(1,562)
Japanese0.3%(502)
Vietnamese0.2%(402)
Korean0.2%(390)
Asian Indian0.2%(359)
Hmong0.1%(100)
Thai0.1%(93)
Cambodian0%(36)
Mongolian0%(29)
Burmese0%(26)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Kazakh0%(14)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(185)
Guamanian0%(74)
Fijian0%(28)
Samoan0%(6)
Ancestry
English2.4%(3,947)
German2.2%(3,612)
Irish1.7%(2,780)
Italian1.7%(2,722)
American1.3%(2,056)
Portuguese0.6%(914)
Scottish0.6%(891)
French0.4%(649)
Russian0.3%(470)
Swedish0.3%(460)
Swiss0.3%(429)
Norwegian0.3%(410)
+ 31 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.3%(409)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(405)
Danish0.2%(363)
Arab0.2%(348)
Dutch0.2%(282)
Czech0.1%(219)
Nigerian0.1%(181)
West Indian0.1%(125)
Brazilian0.1%(116)
Haitian0.1%(106)
Ukrainian0.1%(102)
Armenian0.1%(85)
British0.1%(84)
Canadian0%(73)
Hungarian0%(69)
Slovak0%(69)
Iranian0%(61)
Croatian0%(57)
Romanian0%(41)
Welsh0%(37)
Greek0%(31)
Jordanian0%(29)
Austrian0%(24)
Moroccan0%(23)
Finnish0%(14)
Somali0%(10)
Section 05

Education

12.3%
−0.7 ptssince 1990
from 13.0% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
56.0%
−6.3 ptssince 1990
from 62.3% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
4.0%
+0.2 ptssince 1990
from 3.7% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

17.3 min
−2%since 1990
from 17.7 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married31.4%(18,485)
Married57.3%(33,734)
Widowed2.1%(1,222)
Divorced9.3%(5,472)
Women 15+
Never married26.6%(13,557)
Married55.3%(28,144)
Widowed8.2%(4,180)
Divorced9.9%(5,028)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

12.3%
−12.7 ptssince 2013
from 25.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
41.4%
−3.1 ptssince 2020
from 44.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
7.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 7.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
11.6%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 9.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
40.0%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 36.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 1.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
47.6%
−3.6 ptssince 2020
from 51.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
47.6%
+4.2 ptssince 2020
from 43.4% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Salinas, California?

Salinas, California has about 151,060 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Salinas, California?

The typical household in Salinas, California earns about $43,720 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Salinas, California expensive?

In Salinas, California, the median home is worth about $189,500, and the typical rent is about $725 a month.

How educated are people in Salinas, California?

About 12.3% of adults age 25 and over in Salinas, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Salinas, California?

About 16.7% of people in Salinas, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Salinas, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Salinas, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 42,283 residents, a change of about 39 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →