Watsonville, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Watsonville, 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 | Watsonville | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,933 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6962.9 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.67% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.6 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,828 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Watsonville grew by 10.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 47,933 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Watsonville is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.5% of residents. That is 3.8 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,242 25.5% +3.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,842 20.5% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,853 18.5% -1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,381 11.2% -4.0 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 49.8% of the people living in Watsonville and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% California 49.9%
- Men 50.2% California 50.1%
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Economy
Watsonville has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Watsonville | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,827 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.33% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.5% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Watsonville is about 21% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Watsonville | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $2,060,894 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,872 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 45.4% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Watsonville is about 91.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,872 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Watsonville 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 | Watsonville | 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 | $5,795 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,650 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,949 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Watsonville 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
Watsonville has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Watsonville | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.4% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.40 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Watsonville has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Watsonville | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.2 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.8% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Watsonville, California.
How many people live in Watsonville, California?
About 47,933 people live in Watsonville, California, in 13,828 households of 3.4 people on average. The median age is 31.6, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Watsonville, California?
Averaged over its land area, Watsonville, California has 6,963 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 81 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Watsonville, California?
The median home costs 26.1 times the median household income ($2,060,894 against $78,827), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,872 a month takes about 29% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Watsonville, California?
Unemployment in Watsonville, California is 7.5%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Watsonville, California?
10.4% of adults in Watsonville, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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