Monterey County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Monterey County, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Monterey County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 437,328 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 116.0 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.08% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 132,395 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Monterey County grew by 6.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 437,328 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Monterey County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.4% of residents. That is 1.6 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 102,162 23.4% +1.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 95,265 21.8% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 81,608 18.7% -1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 61,940 14.2% -1.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.9% of the people living in Monterey County and men 51.1%.
- Women 48.9% California 49.9%
- Men 51.1% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Monterey County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Monterey County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Monterey County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $97,252 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.00% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Monterey County is about 2% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Monterey County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $782,751 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,055 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 52.1% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Monterey County is about 31.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,055 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Monterey County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 182 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Monterey County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.9 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.8 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 182 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,655 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,573 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,669 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
California:
Inyo County (11.1 min), Mono County (12.0 min), Del Norte County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Alpine County (31.3 min), San Benito County (31.2 min), Contra Costa County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Monterey County is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Monterey County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Monterey County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.3% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.16 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
California:
Marin County (0.5), San Francisco County (0.4), Santa Clara County (0.4).
Lowest:
Colusa County (0.2), Merced County (0.2), Glenn County (0.2).
Health
Monterey County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Monterey County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
California:
San Francisco County (0.8), San Mateo County (0.8), Santa Clara County (0.8).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.8), Imperial County (0.8), Tulare County (0.8).
Monterey County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Monterey County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 437,328 residents against a local median of 281,514. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Monterey County, CA an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 13% below the local median at $782,751 against $895,815. Monterey County, CA has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey County, CA | 437,328 | $97,252 #5/6 | $782,751 #4/6 | 21.9 min #4/6 |
| San Benito County, CA | 67,290 | $115,991 | $653,703 | 31.2 min |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 264,809 | $111,078 | $1,111,762 | 21.0 min |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 1,901,257 | $165,940 | $1,378,776 | 22.9 min |
| Merced County, CA | 290,118 | $66,042 | $343,279 | 20.7 min |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 281,514 | $97,610 | $895,815 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Monterey County, California.
What is the population of Monterey County, California?
About 437,328 people live in Monterey County, California, in 132,395 households of 3.2 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Monterey County, California?
Averaged over its land area, Monterey County, California has 116 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Monterey County, California?
The median home costs 8.0 times the median household income ($782,751 against $97,252), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,055 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Monterey County, California have a college degree?
24.3% of adults in Monterey County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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