Population 437,613 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Monterey County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Monterey County
Household size in Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.38 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.50 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.53 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.43 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Monterey County is a place of big households: 3.43 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has crept up from 3.38 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Of California's 58 counties, only four have larger households.
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 Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.3 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.6 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.3 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Monterey County is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.6, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.3, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the west.
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 Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.0% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Monterey County (17.0%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 0.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Monterey County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of California counties.
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 Monterey County
Renters in Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.6% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 50.4% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 49.0% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 47.9% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Monterey County than nationally: 47.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. About four in ten owners (41.0%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 1.3 points, as it has nationally. Of California's 58 counties, only two have a higher share of renters.
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 Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Monterey County than nationally: 8.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of California. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.8 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 Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Monterey County was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). The median year built has moved up from 1974 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the west.
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 Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,223 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,335 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,607 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,129 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$906 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Monterey County pays $2,129 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $906 a month from 2006–10, a 74% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 33.1% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the west and lowest in the southeast.
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 Monterey County
Bachelor's degrees in Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.9% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.7% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older in Monterey County (26.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.8 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the southeast.
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 Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 67.7% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 68.7% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 69.5% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 70.8% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About three in ten adults in Monterey County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 70.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. No other California county has a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Monterey County
| Period | Monterey County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Monterey County is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is lower than in California overall (6.6%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 5.5 points, in line with the national trend.
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).
Monterey County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey County | 3.43 | 36.6 | 17.0% | 47.9% | 8.1% | 1979 | $2,129 | 26.7% | 70.8% | 5.0% |
| Fresno County | 3.20 | 34.4 | 17.5% | 44.5% | 6.3% | 1983 | $1,640 | 23.9% | 78.3% | 8.8% |
| San Juan County | 2.99 | 38.7 | 15.7% | 28.8% | 13.5% | 1987 | $1,018 | 19.0% | 87.3% | 7.3% |
| Colfax County | 2.26 | 47.2 | 14.8% | 28.2% | 30.2% | 1968 | $783 | 25.3% | 89.6% | 4.4% |
| Cimarron County | 3.13 | 47.7 | 5.6% | 21.6% | 48.1% | 1963 | $653 | 30.4% | 86.7% | 0.3% |
| Texas County | 3.09 | 34.0 | 16.5% | 33.6% | 17.7% | 1975 | $844 | 20.7% | 76.2% | 3.6% |
| Harper County | 2.36 | 41.5 | 3.6% | 16.4% | 22.1% | 1965 | $855 | 29.7% | 88.5% | 2.8% |
| Woods County | 2.11 | 34.9 | 10.0% | 34.7% | 14.9% | 1960 | $791 | 32.1% | 89.9% | 4.9% |
| Alfalfa County | 2.33 | 45.0 | 6.8% | 22.5% | 20.0% | 1958 | $660 | 20.6% | 86.1% | 3.7% |
| Grant County | 2.52 | 43.6 | 9.0% | 23.7% | 25.1% | 1967 | $830 | 23.3% | 91.5% | 4.1% |
| Kay County | 2.57 | 38.8 | 13.2% | 30.8% | 19.3% | 1963 | $920 | 18.8% | 90.2% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Adams County, CO · Sedgwick County, KS · Chester County, PA · Montgomery County, OH · Camden County, NJ · Lake County, IN · Lane County, OR · Larimer County, CO · Lehigh County, PA · Lake County, FL
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 Monterey County. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.