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Monterey County, California facts for kids

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Monterey County, California
Monterey County
Monterey Bay Aquarium.jpg
Main Street, Salinas.jpg
Pebble Beach Golf Links, hole 7.jpg
Nuestra Senora del la Soledad chapel.JPG
Big Sur June 2008.jpg
Images, from top down, left to right: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Main Street in Salinas, the seventh hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Mission Soledad, Big Sur Coastline
Official seal of Monterey County, California
Seal
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
Country United States
State California
Incorporated February 18, 1850
Named for Monterey Bay
County seat Salinas
Largest city Salinas
Area
 • Total 3,771 sq mi (9,770 km2)
 • Land 3,281 sq mi (8,500 km2)
 • Water 491 sq mi (1,270 km2)
Highest elevation
5,865 ft (1,788 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 439,035
 • Density 134/sq mi (52/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes 805, 831
Website www.co.monterey.ca.us

Monterey County, officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas.

Monterey County comprises the Salinas, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. It borders on the southern part of Monterey Bay, after which it is named. (The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County.) Monterey County is a member of the regional governmental agency: the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.

Scenic features along the coastline - including Big Sur, State Route 1, and the 17 Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula - have made the county famous around the world. Back when California was under Spanish and Mexican rule, the city of Monterey was its capital. Today, the economy of the county is mostly based on tourism in its coastal regions, and on agriculture in the region of the Salinas River valley. Most of the county's inhabitants live near the northern coast or in Salinas Valley; the southern coast and inland mountainous regions are sparsely populated.

History

Monterey County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county were given to San Benito County in 1874. The area was originally populated by Ohlone, Salinan & Esselen tribes.

The county derived its name from Monterey Bay. The bay was named by Sebastián Vizcaíno in 1602 in honor of the Conde de Monterrey (or Count of Monterrey), then the Viceroy of New Spain. Monterrey is a variation of Monterrei, a municipality in the Galicia region of Spain where the Conde de Monterrey and his father (the Fourth Count of Monterrei) were from.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,771 square miles (9,770 km2), of which 3,281 square miles (8,500 km2) is land and 491 square miles (1,270 km2) (13%) is water. The county is roughly 1.5 times larger than the state of Delaware, and roughly similar in population and size to Santa Barbara County.

Adjacent counties

Counties and bodies of water adjacent to Monterey County, California

National protected areas

Marine protected areas

Flora and fauna

Monterey County has habitat to support the following endangered species:

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 1,872
1860 4,739 153.2%
1870 9,876 108.4%
1880 11,302 14.4%
1890 18,637 64.9%
1900 19,380 4.0%
1910 24,146 24.6%
1920 27,980 15.9%
1930 53,705 91.9%
1940 73,032 36.0%
1950 130,498 78.7%
1960 198,351 52.0%
1970 250,071 26.1%
1980 290,444 16.1%
1990 355,660 22.5%
2000 401,762 13.0%
2010 415,057 3.3%
2020 439,035 5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Monterey County, California - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 136,435 120,077 32.87% 27.35%
Black or African American alone (NH) 11,300 9,051 2.72% 2.06%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 1,361 1,314 0.33% 0.30%
Asian alone (NH) 23,777 25,123 5.73% 5.72%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 1,868 1,859 0.45% 0.42%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 741 2,170 0.18% 0.49%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 9,572 14,120 2.31% 3.22%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 230,003 265,321 55.41% 60.43%
Total 415,057 439,035 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

Income, education and poverty 2013

American FactFinder - Results - Google Chrome 2016-03-15 17.52.05
Median Household Income across the populated northern half of Monterey County, as of 2014.
Share Affluent Households Monterey County
Percent of affluent households (i.e. $150k annual income or higher) across census tracts in most populated area of the county.

Generally, the western/southern parts of the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Valley, Creekbridge (Salinas), and eastern parts of Prundale were the county's most affluent and educated (see dark blue on map). These areas had a median household income significantly above that of the California or the U.S. overall (typically above $95,000 vs. $60,000 for California and $52,000 for the U.S.) and comprised roughly 8%-10% of neighborhoods (as defined by Census Block Groups). Educational attainment was at least on part with, or above, state and national levels, in these areas while the percentage of people living in poverty was typically a third or less than national and statewide average (with the exception of South Salinas).

Social deprivation (poverty and low levels of educational attainment) was concentrated in the central and eastern parts of Salinas, and central areas of Monterey, Seaside, Marina, Soledad and King City. In central and eastern Salinas up to 46% of individuals lived below the poverty line and those without a secondary educations formed a plurality or majority of residents. Overall, the Salinas metropolitan area, defined as coterminous with Monterey County, was among the least educated urban areas in the nation.

Most affluent neighborhoods

Roughly 8% of neighborhoods, as defined by Census Block Groups, had a median household income above $100,000 per year, about 60% above the national median. This coincided with the top 20 census block groups in the county listed below.

Most affluent neighborhoods (Median Household Income above $100k/yr.)

Rank neighborhood Census Reference/Geo-Unit Median Household Income
1 Carmel Valley (North-West) Block Group 1, Census Tract 116.02 $152,411
2 Mount Toro Foothills, Salinas Valley Block Group 3, Census Tract 107.01 $143,508
3 Jacks Peak, Monterey Block Group 1, Census Tract 132 $142,143
4 Mount Toro Foothills, Salinas Valley Block Group 2, Census Tract 107.02 $141,364
5 Skyline Forest, Monterey Block Group 3, Census Tract 128 $130,221
6 Yankee Point, Carmel Block Group 3, Census Tract 117 $126,389
7 Carmel Valley (North-West) Block Group 3, Census Tract 116.02 $122,056
8 Carmel Valley (North-West) Block Group 4, Census Tract 116.02 $118,159
9 Carmel Valley (North-West) Block Group 2, Census Tract 110 $118,125
10 Carmel Valley (North-West) Block Group 4, Census Tract 110 $115,667
11 Carmel (East, outside of city limits) Block Group 2, Census Tract 117 $115,357
12 Jacks Peak, Monterey Block Group 2, Census Tract 132 $113,750
13 Skyline Forest, Monterey Block Group 5, Census Tract 128 $111,500
14 City of Carmel (Southern half) Block Group 1, Census Tract 118.02 $110,962
15 Las Palmas, Salinas Valley Block Group 2, Census Tract 107.01 $110,918
16 Pebble Beach, Monterey Peninsula Country Club Block Group 4, Census Tract 119 $107,500
17 Mount Toro Foothills, Salinas Valley Block Group 1, Census Tract 107.02 $105,511
18 Carmel Valley (North-West) Block Group 1, Census Tract 116.04 $104,902
19 City of Carmel (Northern half) Block Group 2, Census Tract 118.01 $101,984
20 Creekbridge (incl. Falcon Meadows), Salinas Block Group 2, Census Tract 106.03 $100,673
141* United States N/A $53,046
104* California N/A $61,094
154* City of Salinas N/A $49,264

* Asterisk denotes a hypothetical rank among Monterey County's 226 Census Block Groups (e.g. if the U.S. overall was a Census Block Group in Monterey County, it would be the 141st most affluent of 226).

Least affluent neighborhoods

About 4.5% of neighborhoods, as defined by Census Block Groups, had a median household income below $30,000 per year, about 60% below the national median. This coincided with the 10 poorest of the 20 lowest income neighborhoods listed in the table below.

Least affluent neighborhoods (Median Household Income of $34.1k or less)

Rank neighborhood Census Reference/Geo-Unit Median Household Income
1 Downtown Salinas Block Group 1, Census Tract 13 $21,411
2 Central Seaside Block Group 3, Census Tract 137 $22,994
3 East Salinas (Del Monte Ave.) Block Group 1, Census Tract 7.01 $23,250
4 Downtown Monterey Block Group 1, Census Tract 127 $24,911
5 Central Marina (Del Monte Blvd.) Block Group 3, Census Tract 142.01 $25,464
6 Hebbron Heights, East Salinas Block Group 2, Census Tract 5.01 $26,211
7 East Salinas (Del Monte Ave.) Block Group 3, Census Tract 7.01 $26,771
8 East Salinas (Del Monte Ave.) Block Group 2, Census Tract 7.02 $26,875
9 Hebbron Heights, East Salinas Block Group 1, Census Tract 5.01 $28,750
10 Downtown Monterey Block Group 2, Census Tract 127 $29,070
11 West Santa Rita, Salinas Block Group 1, Census Tract 105.06 $30,250
12 North-Central Salinas/Chinatown Block Group 2, Census Tract 18.02 $30,625
13 Central King City Block Group 2, Census Tract 113.02 $31,579
14 Central King City Block Group 1, Census Tract 113.02 $33,043
15 Central Soledad Block Group 3, Census Tract 111.01 $33,110
16 East Seaside Block Group 1, Census Tract 135 $33,242
17 East Salinas (Del Monte Ave.) Block Group 3, Census Tract 7.02 $33,244
18 East Soledad Block Group 1, Census Tract 111.02 $33,616
19 East Salinas Block Group 3, Census Tract 8 $33,938
20 North Salinas (E. Bernal Drive./Natividad Rd.) Block Group 3, Census Tract 4 $34,057
86* United States N/A $53,046
118* California N/A $61,094
73* City of Salinas N/A $49,264

* Asterisk denotes a hypothetical rank among Monterey County's 226 Census Block Groups (e.g. if the U.S. overall was a Census Block Group in Monterey County, it would be the 86th poorest of 226).

2011

Thematic map showing percentage of households speaking only English at home
Thematic map showing percentage of households speaking only English at home.

Places by population, race, and income

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Monterey County had a population of 415,057. The racial makeup of Monterey County was 230,717 (55.6%) White, 12,785 (3.1%) African American, 5,464 (1.3%) Native American, 25,258 (6.1%) Asian (2.8% Filipino, 0.7% Korean, 0.6% Chinese, 0.6% Japanese, 0.4% Vietnamese, 0.4% Indian), 2,071 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 117,405 (28.3%) from other races, and 21,357 (5.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 230,003 persons (55.4%); 50.2% of Monterey County is Mexican, 0.8% Salvadoran, and 0.5% Puerto Rican.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 401,762 people, 121,236 households, and 87,896 families residing in the county. The population density was 121 people per square mile (47/km2). There were 131,708 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile (15/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 55.9% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 1.1% Native American, 6.0% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 27.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. 46.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 6.3% were of German and 5.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 52.9% spoke English, 39.6% Spanish and 1.6% Tagalog as their first language.

There were 121,236 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.65.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 female residents there were 107.3 male residents. For every 100 female residents age 18 and over, there were 107.7 male residents.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,305, and the median income for a family was $51,169. Men had a median income of $38,444 versus $30,036 for the women. The per capita income for the county was $20,165. About 9.7% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Major highways

  • U.S. Route 101
  • State Route 1
  • State Route 68
  • State Route 146
  • State Route 156
  • State Route 183
  • State Route 198

Public transportation

Monterey County is served by Amtrak trains and Greyhound Lines buses. Monterey-Salinas Transit provides transit service throughout most of Monterey County, with buses to Big Sur and King City as well as in Monterey, Salinas and Carmel. MST also runs service to San Jose, California in Santa Clara County

Airports

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Other places

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Monterey County.

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Salinas City 150,441
2 Seaside City 33,025
3 Monterey City 27,810
4 Soledad City 25,738
5 Marina City 19,718
6 Prunedale CDP 17,560
7 Greenfield City 16,330
8 Pacific Grove City 15,041
9 King City City 12,874
10 Gonzales City 8,187
11 Castroville CDP 6,481
12 Del Monte Forest CDP 4,514
13 Carmel Valley Village CDP 4,407
14 Carmel-by-the-Sea City 3,722
15 Pajaro CDP 3,070
16 Las Lomas CDP 3,024
17 Aromas (partially in San Benito County) CDP 2,650
18 Pine Canyon CDP 1,822
19 Boronda CDP 1,710
20 Del Rey Oaks City 1,624
21 Elkhorn CDP 1,565
22 Chualar CDP 1,190
23 Spreckels CDP 673
24 San Ardo CDP 517
25 Lockwood CDP 379
26 Sand City City 334
27 San Lucas CDP 269
28 Moss Landing CDP 204
29 Bradley CDP 93

Gallery

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Monterrey para niños

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