Salinas, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Salinas, 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.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Salinas | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 143,962 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6113.9 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.37% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 30.0 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 38,513 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Salinas grew by 11.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 143,962 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Salinas is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.0% of residents. That is 3.3 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 36,005 25.0% +3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 33,650 23.4% -0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 25,574 17.8% -2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 13,845 9.6% -5.6 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 Salinas and men 51.1%.
- Women 48.9% California 49.9%
- Men 51.1% California 50.1%
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Economy
Salinas has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Salinas | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $89,763 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.24% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Salinas is about 9% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Salinas | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $781,005 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,973 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 46.7% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Salinas is about 33.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,973 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Salinas spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 187 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Salinas | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.4 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.9 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 187 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,796 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,592 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,995 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Salinas 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
Salinas has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Salinas | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.9% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.68 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Salinas has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Salinas | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Salinas, California.
What is the population of Salinas, California?
About 143,962 people live in Salinas, California, in 38,513 households of 3.7 people on average. The median age is 30.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Salinas, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Salinas, California has 6,114 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 71 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Salinas, California?
The median home costs 8.7 times the median household income ($781,005 against $89,763), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,973 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Salinas, California?
12.9% of adults in Salinas, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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