Monterey, CA
Census place 0648872 · pop 29,613
Served as California's capital under Spanish and Mexican rule and inspired Steinbeck's Cannery Row.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
8.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
36.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,076,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,804/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
98/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
386 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1799 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
9.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
39 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$102,846 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
52.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.56% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
17.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
25.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is Monterey, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Monterey scores 47/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is unemployment rate. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Monterey, CA?
- Monterey reports 386 violent crimes per 100k and 1799 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Monterey, CA expensive to live in?
- Monterey has a median home value of $1,076,300 and typical rent around $2,804/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Monterey, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is unemployment rate (8.9%) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Monterey, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (25.6%) — 90/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Served as California's capital under Spanish and Mexican rule and inspired Steinbeck's Cannery Row.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.