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METRO AREA · 2000 CENSUS

Salinas Metro

Salinas, CA · 1 counties · 401,762 residents · 3,282 sq mi
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The short version

Salinas is a metro area of 401,762 people. The typical home is worth $254,800. 55% of homes are owner-occupied. This skews young, with a median age of 31.7. Renters pay $776 a month at the median. Growth has run 13% since 1990, or 46,102 more people.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 31.7
US median: 35.2
Average education
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
401,762
+13%since 1990
from 355,660 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Population density
122 / sq mi
+13%since 1990
from 108 / sq mi in 1990
Median age
31.7
+6%since 1990
from 29.8 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
3,282 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
347K372K397K422K447K19902000201020202024Salinas
2024438K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 57.8%(31,248)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 98.3%(33,468)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.8%(31,140)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 197.7%(30,933)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 247.7%(30,982)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.9%(64,023)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.4%(61,978)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5412.3%(49,251)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 647.1%(28,440)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.3%(21,373)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 843.5%(14,227)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.2%(4,699)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$48,305
+9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $33,520 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$20,165
+38%since 1990
from $14,578 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
13.5%
+1.9 ptssince 1990
from 11.6% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$254,800
−1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $196,300 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$776
−6%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $625 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
54.6%
+4.0 ptssince 1990
from 50.7% in 1990
45.4% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic63.9%(227,262)
Black6.4%(22,679)
Hispanic / Latino32.7%(116,431)
Asian7.8%(27,657)
2000
White, non-Hispanic40.3%(162,045)
Black3.5%(14,085)
Hispanic / Latino46.8%(187,969)
Asian5.8%(23,203)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin
Mexican56.3%(246,333)
Central American2.2%(9,596)
Salvadoran1.6%(6,929)
South American0.7%(3,169)
Puerto Rican0.6%(2,419)
Spaniard0.4%(1,617)
Guatemalan0.3%(1,314)
Argentine0.3%(1,205)
Honduran0.2%(886)
Cuban0.2%(751)
Peruvian0.1%(599)
Colombian0.1%(562)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(230)
Chilean0%(200)
Panamanian0%(190)
Uruguayan0%(178)
Dominican0%(164)
Venezuelan0%(109)
Bolivian0%(41)
Asian origin
Filipino2.6%(11,519)
Chinese0.9%(3,987)
Asian Indian0.5%(2,091)
Japanese0.5%(2,043)
Korean0.4%(1,878)
Vietnamese0.3%(1,475)
Pakistani0.1%(252)
Thai0%(189)
Hmong0%(155)
Taiwanese0%(152)
Mongolian0%(116)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(116)
Burmese0%(95)
Cambodian0%(94)
Kazakh0%(65)
Malaysian0%(27)
Laotian0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(637)
Chamorro0.1%(610)
Tongan0.1%(503)
Fijian0.1%(492)
Guamanian0.1%(272)
Ancestry
English5.7%(24,888)
German5.6%(24,589)
Irish5%(21,836)
Italian3.5%(15,229)
American1.5%(6,754)
French1.2%(5,319)
Scottish1.2%(5,160)
Portuguese1%(4,470)
Polish0.7%(3,251)
Swedish0.6%(2,423)
Norwegian0.6%(2,415)
Arab0.5%(2,325)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.5%(2,050)
Swiss0.5%(2,047)
Russian0.5%(1,976)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(1,822)
Danish0.4%(1,621)
Welsh0.3%(1,420)
British0.2%(1,029)
Greek0.2%(759)
Ukrainian0.2%(682)
Czech0.2%(676)
Hungarian0.2%(660)
Iranian0.1%(593)
Armenian0.1%(578)
Lebanese0.1%(561)
Croatian0.1%(493)
West Indian0.1%(479)
Nigerian0.1%(449)
Austrian0.1%(448)
Brazilian0.1%(400)
Canadian0.1%(399)
Egyptian0.1%(351)
Slovak0.1%(342)
Jamaican0.1%(267)
Finnish0.1%(258)
Belgian0%(207)
Syrian0%(202)
Lithuanian0%(196)
Serbian0%(158)
Haitian0%(139)
Romanian0%(136)
Australian0%(119)
Slovene0%(114)
Iraqi0%(98)
Ethiopian0%(77)
Bulgarian0%(54)
Turkish0%(53)
Moroccan0%(52)
Israeli0%(47)
Jordanian0%(46)
Somali0%(21)
Latvian0%(12)
Ghanaian0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.5%
+1.0 ptssince 1990
from 21.5% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
68.4%
−4.4 ptssince 1990
from 72.9% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
8.7%
+1.1 ptssince 1990
from 7.6% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
15.9 min
−15%since 1990
from 18.7 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 married30.8%(48,646)
Married58%(91,591)
Widowed2.1%(3,336)
Divorced9.1%(14,395)
Women 15+
Never married24.3%(35,914)
Married55.5%(82,094)
Widowed8.9%(13,168)
Divorced11.2%(16,624)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
9.6%
−12.0 ptssince 2013
from 21.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
45.2%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 47.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 11.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
33.5%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 30.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
55.2%
−3.1 ptssince 2020
from 58.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
46.0%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 42.2% 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)25.1%(3,360)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.7%(2,899)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.2%(4,445)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.5%(870)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.3%(302)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 13,371 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
In this metro

Largest cities

SalinasCENTRAL159,134Seaside31,636Monterey28,953Soledad26,357Marina23,256Greenfield21,138Prunedale19,723Pacific Grove14,659King City14,002Gonzales8,313Castroville6,720Carmel Valley4,785Del Monte Forest3,613Las Lomas3,355Aromas3,245Carmel-by-the-Sea3,105Pajaro2,899Pine Canyon2,477Elkhorn1,664Del Rey Oaks1,536Boronda1,351Fort Hunter Liggett1,119Chualar812San Ardo462Sand City323Lockwood CDP (Monterey County)240Spreckels174San Lucas134Bradley112Moss Landing45
What's inside

1 component county

Monterey CountyCENTRAL433,729
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Salinas

Santa Maria
Pop 442,065
Vallejo
Pop 455,376
Manchester
Pop 433,415
Anchorage
Pop 405,821
Places similar to Salinas
Head to head

Compare Salinas side by side

SALINAS VS
Santa Maria
Income$98,161+103%
Home value$790,700+210%
Population442,065+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALINAS VS
Vallejo
Income$100,401+108%
Home value$617,700+142%
Population455,376+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALINAS VS
Manchester
Income$103,545+114%
Home value$421,100+65%
Population433,415same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SALINAS VS
Anchorage
Income$100,683+108%
Home value$382,042+50%
Population405,821−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Salinas, CA?

Salinas, CA has about 401,762 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Salinas, CA?

The typical household in Salinas, CA earns about $48,305 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Salinas, CA expensive?

In Salinas, CA, the median home is worth about $254,800, and the typical rent is about $776 a month.

How educated are people in Salinas, CA?

About 22.5% of adults age 25 and over in Salinas, CA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Salinas, CA?

About 13.5% of people in Salinas, CA live below the federal poverty line.

Has Salinas, CA grown since 1990?

Yes, Salinas, CA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 46,102 residents, a change of about 13 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Salinas, CA (2000): population, income & housing data · CensusEasy