Seaside, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Seaside, 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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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Seaside | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,690 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2945.7 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.20% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,704 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Seaside grew by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,690 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Seaside is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.8% of residents. That is 5.1 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,154 26.8% +5.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,035 22.6% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,156 19.3% -0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,384 12.7% -2.6 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 50.4% of the people living in Seaside and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% California 49.9%
- Men 49.6% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Seaside
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Seaside has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Seaside | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,895 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.94% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Seaside is about 16% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Seaside | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $686,651 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,266 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 40.4% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Seaside is about 25.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,266 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Seaside spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 154 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Seaside | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.5 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.0 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 154 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,784 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,140 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,066 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Seaside is 19 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
Seaside has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Seaside | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.6% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.89 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Seaside has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Seaside | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.3 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Seaside, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Seaside, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaside, CA | 26,690 | $82,895 #2/2 | $686,651 #2/2 | 18.5 min #2/2 |
| Monterey, CA | 26,676 | $102,069 | $1,245,967 | 15.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Seaside, California.
What is the population of Seaside, California?
About 26,690 people live in Seaside, California, in 8,704 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 36.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Seaside, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Seaside, California has 2,946 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 34 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Seaside, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 8.3 times the median household income ($686,651 against $82,895), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,266 a month takes about 33% of the median household's income, above the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Seaside, California have a college degree?
20.6% of adults in Seaside, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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