City safety & data profile

SalinasCA

Salinas, CA is a 157K-resident city in Monterey County with a median household income of $91,908.

Monterey County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Salinas, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Salinas has a population larger than 96% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $654,100, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

157K
Population
Top 4%
By size
$91,908
Median income
$654,100
Median home
13.6%
Poverty rate

The read on Salinas

Salinas posts a median household income higher than 62% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Salinas area.

Top 38%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Salinas

Where Salinas income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$91,908 Top 38% higher than 62% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. CA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Salinas, CA beyond the headline numbers

Salinas sits inside Monterey County, California, at roughly 36.68°N, -121.66°W. Population 157,380, $91,908 median household income. Median home value $654,100, median rent $1,991. Poverty rate 13.6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Salinas's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 35.6%, then obesity at 32.8%. 2 hospitals in/around Salinas, 3.5/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Salinas from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
157,380
Salinas
Median Income
$91,908
+35% vs avg
Median Home Value
$654,100
+187% vs avg
Median Age
32.4
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Monterey County) - Salinas's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
438K+4%
Median Income
$97,230+64%
Median Home Value
$781,000+116%
Poverty Rate
12.7%-25%
Unemployment
5%-53%

Economics

Economics indicators for Salinas, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,991/mo
Poverty Rate
13.6% -4% vs avg
Unemployment 4.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 16.5%
Work From Home 4.3%
Public Transit 0.7%

Population

White 23.1%
African American 1.2%
Asian 5.7%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
35.6%
Obesity
32.8%
Physical Inactivity
31%
High Blood Pressure
29%
Lack of Health Insurance
22.4%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.2%
Binge Drinking
16.8%
Frequent Physical Distress
15.6%
Current Smoking
12.9%
Diabetes
12.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 52%
Annual Checkup 68.3%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
9.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.2%
Stroke
3%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3.5/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
2
SALINAS VALLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
SALINAS · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆
NATIVIDAD MEDICAL CENTER
SALINAS · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Salinas, CA? ▼
Salinas, CA has a population of 157,380 people, located in Monterey County, California.
What is the median household income in Salinas? ▼
The median household income in Salinas, CA is $91,908 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 13.6%.
What is the median home value in Salinas? ▼
The median home value in Salinas, CA is $654,100. Median rent is $1,991/month.
What are the top health concerns in Salinas? ▼
The top health indicators in Salinas include Short Sleep Duration (35.6%), Obesity (32.8%), Physical Inactivity (31%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Salinas? ▼
Salinas has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3.5/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Salinas? ▼
The median age in Salinas, CA is 32.4 years. 16.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Salinas, CA is located in Monterey County, California. With a population of 157K and a $91,908 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3.5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Salinas area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - California

Real-time AQI for every monitored California location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Prunedale, CA 18K Marina, CA 21K Seaside, CA 33K Monterey, CA 28K Watsonville, CA 54K Pacific Grove, CA 16K Hollister, CA 37K Gilroy, CA 53K
All cities in California → Compare Salinas vs Prunedale → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Salinas's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Salinas area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Salinas against California peers on any ranking lens. Explore California

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Monterey County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.