CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Watsonville

California · 31,099 residents · 6.79 sq mi

Time machine

VIEWING

COMPARE TO

The short version

Watsonville is home to 31,099 people in California. Median home value sits at $182,500. Owners hold 48% of the housing stock. The median age is 29.0, younger than the US median of 33.0. There are 13,166 fewer people here than in 2000. 11% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Younger

median age 29.0

US median: 33.0

Less educated

11% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

31,099

−30%vs 2000

vs 44,265 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

29.0

+6%vs 2000

vs 27.4 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

6.79 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202452K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 510.2%(3,162)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 99.5%(2,956)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 147.1%(2,210)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 197.2%(2,239)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 248%(2,502)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3418.5%(5,742)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4412.6%(3,920)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 547.5%(2,332)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 646.8%(2,109)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 746.6%(2,060)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844.5%(1,411)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.5%(456)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$27,980

−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $37,617 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,422

−21%vs 2000

vs $13,205 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

15.3%

−3.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 19.1% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$182,500

+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $207,300 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$625

+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $742 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

47.8%

−0.3 ptsvs 2000

vs 48.1% in 2000

52.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic19.4%(8,574)

Black0.5%(206)

Hispanic / Latino75.1%(33,254)

Asian3.1%(1,358)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic55.6%(17,294)

Black0.5%(149)

Hispanic / Latino59.7%(18,551)

Asian5.6%(1,745)

Other38.3%(11,911)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin

Mexican78.4%(40,544)

Central American1.3%(665)

Salvadoran1%(521)

South American0.5%(256)

Puerto Rican0.3%(151)

Colombian0.2%(95)

Spaniard0.2%(81)

Ecuadorian0.2%(80)

Honduran0.1%(53)

Guatemalan0.1%(51)

Peruvian0.1%(46)

Argentine0.1%(35)

+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data

Nicaraguan0.1%(26)

Cuban0%(7)

Panamanian0%(3)

Asian origin

Filipino1.1%(566)

Japanese0.6%(298)

Chinese0.4%(221)

Vietnamese0.2%(125)

Asian Indian0.2%(118)

Korean0%(21)

Pacific Islander origin

Samoan0.2%(123)

Native Hawaiian0.2%(115)

Ancestry

English3.2%(1,654)

German2.6%(1,340)

Irish2.4%(1,253)

Italian1.5%(776)

Portuguese1.4%(709)

American1.1%(569)

Arab0.5%(255)

French0.4%(216)

Swedish0.4%(211)

Syrian0.3%(179)

Scottish0.3%(179)

Dutch0.3%(153)

+ 23 more ancestry groups with data

Scotch-Irish0.3%(142)

Russian0.3%(139)

Croatian0.3%(130)

Danish0.2%(100)

Romanian0.2%(78)

Palestinian0.1%(76)

Norwegian0.1%(76)

British0.1%(46)

Iranian0.1%(34)

Czech0.1%(28)

Polish0%(25)

Greek0%(21)

Hungarian0%(19)

Swiss0%(17)

Slovak0%(16)

Welsh0%(13)

Canadian0%(12)

French Canadian0%(10)

Turkish0%(8)

Finnish0%(7)

Serbian0%(6)

Ukrainian0%(5)

Austrian0%(4)

RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

10.7%

+2.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 8.7% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

53.6%

+4.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 49.1% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.5%

+0.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 2.7% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

17.3 min

+5%vs 2000

vs 16.4 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married42.8%(8,545)

Married49%(9,773)

Widowed2.2%(447)

Divorced6%(1,197)

Women 15+

Never married38.4%(7,558)

Married44.6%(8,774)

Widowed7.6%(1,500)

Divorced9.4%(1,843)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

9.2%

−14.0 ptssince 2013

from 23.2% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

41.7%

−0.9 ptssince 2020

from 42.6% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

7.1%

−3.0 ptssince 2020

from 10.1% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

14.1%

+1.6 ptssince 2020

from 12.5% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

43.4%

+1.1 ptssince 2020

from 42.3% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.0%

+0.3 ptssince 2020

from 0.7% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

47.4%

−4.0 ptssince 2020

from 51.4% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

52.8%

+3.0 ptssince 2020

from 49.8% 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)25.8%(201)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)14.6%(114)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era32.8%(256)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War7.7%(60)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 780 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

Drill deeper