Population 5,215 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown Salinas
Household size in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.74 | 3.66 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.80 | 3.83 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.86 | 3.89 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.90 | 3.76 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.16 | +0.10 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Downtown Salinas average 2.90 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Still, the typical household here is smaller than in Salinas overall, where it has 3.76 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.74, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0 | 31.0 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.4 | 31.5 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 31.8 | 32.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.4 | 33.8 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.6 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Downtown Salinas is young: half of its residents are under 32.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has edged down from 33.0 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 20.0% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.5% | 20.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.8% | 18.6% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 26.3% | 22.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +14.4 pts | +2.4 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Downtown Salinas: 26.3% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has risen 14.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Downtown Salinas
Renters in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.6% | 48.4% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 81.9% | 52.8% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 73.6% | 51.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 69.4% | 49.4% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Downtown Salinas rent: 69.4% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Nearly six in ten owners (56.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the east and least common in the south.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 7.2% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 5.6% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.3% | 5.3% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 4.7% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Downtown Salinas: 5.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Salinas as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.1 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1975 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1976 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1975 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1978 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +16 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Housing in Downtown Salinas leans a little older: the median home dates to 1974, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1958 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the south has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $817 | $1,157 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $924 | $1,270 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,117 | $1,541 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,456 | $2,095 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$639 | +$938 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Downtown Salinas costs $1,456 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $639 a month from 2006–10, a 78% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 37.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Downtown Salinas
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.8% | 14.8% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 14.2% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 15.4% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.3% | 18.1% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +3.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Downtown Salinas: 18.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged down 0.5 points, even as the national share rose. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the north.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 63.6% | 60.3% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 62.9% | 61.9% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 61.3% | 60.7% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 62.3% | 62.5% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly four in ten adults in Downtown Salinas never finished high school, well above the national share: only 62.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The picture is much the same across Salinas. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged down 1.3 points, even as the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Downtown Salinas
| Period | Downtown Salinas | Salinas | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 10.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 9.8% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 4.9% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 4.7% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.4 pts | −6.1 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downtown Salinas runs well above the national rate: 7.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 8.4 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Downtown Salinas compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Salinas | 2.90 | 32.4 | 26.3% | 69.4% | 5.8% | 1974 | $1,456 | 18.3% | 62.3% | 7.5% |
| Live Oak | 2.45 | 43.2 | 10.6% | 41.8% | 8.0% | 1978 | $2,687 | 39.7% | 87.8% | 4.2% |
| Central Santa Cruz | 2.35 | 33.2 | 9.1% | 70.8% | 10.1% | 1973 | $2,230 | 50.6% | 93.8% | 7.1% |
| Westside | 2.70 | 29.2 | 6.6% | 46.9% | 10.5% | 1973 | $2,328 | 59.5% | 96.8% | 10.1% |
| West | 3.52 | 31.3 | 17.7% | 34.9% | 4.5% | 1993 | $1,644 | 19.5% | 78.3% | 9.0% |
| Bullard | 2.77 | 38.9 | 13.8% | 40.9% | 4.8% | 1984 | $1,752 | 35.3% | 88.9% | 6.8% |
| Fresno-High | 2.91 | 34.4 | 20.0% | 52.3% | 7.1% | 1955 | $1,404 | 18.9% | 78.4% | 11.5% |
| Edison | 3.44 | 28.6 | 29.4% | 68.9% | 4.5% | 1973 | $1,195 | 7.7% | 60.9% | 19.0% |
| Central | 2.18 | 36.6 | 12.0% | 88.4% | 9.7% | 1968 | $969 | 11.4% | 61.3% | 16.3% |
| Hoover | 2.77 | 33.3 | 16.0% | 58.5% | 5.9% | 1972 | $1,558 | 25.6% | 86.2% | 8.5% |
| Woodward Park | 2.72 | 39.0 | 12.2% | 39.7% | 7.5% | 1994 | $2,298 | 49.5% | 94.5% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Woburn Street Historic District, Reading, MA · Sierra Montana, Surprise, AZ · Armatage, Minneapolis, MN · Gashland, Kansas City, MO · Baden, St. Louis, MO · Bailey, East Lansing, MI · Bayside West, Tampa, FL · Boal, Chula Vista, CA · Bryte, West Sacramento, CA · Pheasant Run, Aurora, CO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Downtown Salinas. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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