Salinas, California Population 2023

161,585

Salinas is a city located in Monterey County California. Salinas has a 2023 population of 161,585. It is also the county seat of Monterey County.Salinas is currently declining at a rate of -0.37% annually and its population has decreased by -1.11% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 163,397 in 2020.

The average household income in Salinas is $92,586 with a poverty rate of 14.35%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Salinas is 31.3 years, 30.6 years for males, and 32.3 years for females.

Salinas, the county seat of Monterey County, is an urban area located 10 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River and just outside the Greater Bay Area.

Diversity

About 38% of people in Salinas, CA were born outside the U.S. The city of Salinas has a Hispanic-majority population; nearly three quarters of its residents are Latino, many of them immigrants from Mexico who arrived to work in the region’s agricultural fields.

Population Growth

In 1870, just prior to being incorporated, the population stood at 599 people. This more than tripled in the ten years that followed and, as of the latest 2019 figures, the population of Salinas stands at 157,596.

Salinas struggles with a high youth crime rate, being dubbed the “youth murder capital of California.” On top of this, a lack of affordable housing has kept its growth rate from climbing in later years. The city is expected to continue its modest growth since recovering from the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

On September 9th, 1850, California was admitted to the Union and officially became a state. 1867 saw the first streets laid out for Salinas and the town was incorporated in 1874. Post-war, major urban and suburban development converted what was mainly farmland to a thriving city. The 1950s and 1960s saw a particularly large growth spurt, which was seen again in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Agriculture has always been the area's major industry. This “green gold” went some considerable way toward making Salinas one of the wealthiest cities per capita in the U.S. shortly after the end of World War I. Today, this fuels a $2 billion industry, supplying the country with 80% of its lettuce and artichokes, amongst many other crops.

Salinas is also the birthplace of Nobel Prize laureate John Steinbeck. The historic downtown district is home to the National Steinbeck Center, John Steinbeck House and the John Steinbeck Library.

Salinas Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Salinas was:

  • Other race: 55.68%
  • White: 27.72%
  • Two or more races: 8.46%
  • Asian: 5.81%
  • Black or African American: 1.4%
  • Native American: 0.89%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.05%
Land Area (mi²)
23.4 sq mi
Density (mi²)
6,897.0/sq mi
Growth Rate
-0.37% (-602)
Growth Since 2020
-1.11% (-1,812)
The current population of Salinas, California is 161,585 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 163,397.

Salinas, California Population 2023

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
Other race90,76555.68%
White45,17727.72%
Two or more races13,7838.46%
Asian9,4765.81%
Black or African American2,2841.4%
Native American1,4450.89%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander740.05%
showing: 7 rows

Other race

White

Two or more races

Asian

Black or African American

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Salinas Population by Race

Salinas Population Pyramid 2023

Salinas Median Age

31.3

Total

30.6

Male

32.3

Female

Salinas Adults

There are 112,850 adults, (15,394 of whom are seniors) in Salinas.

Salinas Age Dependency

67.3

Age Dependency Ratio

15.8

Old Age Dependency Ratio

51.5

Child Dependency Ratio

Salinas Sex Ratio

Female79,58748.83%
Male83,41751.17%

Salinas Population by Age

Salinas Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All42,9843.764753
Married22,4444.3957.142.9
Non Family8,9671.3842.557.5
Female7,6384.5331.768.3
Male3,9354.0529.770.3
showing: 5 rows

4.16

Average Family Size

3.76

Average Household Size

47.0%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Salinas Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Salinas Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Salinas Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 83.8%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 36.78%.

Salinas Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$34,405

Average Earnings

$38,017

Average Male

$31,056

Average Female

Salinas Earnings by Educational Attainment

Salinas Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Salinas Language

28.18% of Salinas residents speak only English, while 71.82% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 67.48% of the population.

Salinas Language

Salinas Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Hispanic129,15720,19315.63%
Other90,21515,84517.56%
White19,5371,6478.43%
Multiple13,6651,3169.63%
Asian9,3811,02510.93%
Black2,1612149.9%
Native1,4391248.62%
Islander74810.81%
showing: 8 rows

14.35%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.97%

Male Poverty Rate

15.78%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Salinas

The race most likely to be in poverty in Salinas is Other, with 17.56% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Salinas is White, with 8.43% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.36%. Among those working part-time, it was 11.89%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 23.15%.

Salinas Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade15.45%
High School9.95%
Some College8.47%
Bachelors or Greater5.45%
showing: 4 rows

Salinas Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed14.91%
Male Unemployed14.85%
Female Employed5.23%
Male Employed5.07%
showing: 4 rows

Salinas Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Salinas Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Salinas Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

44.2%

Overall Marriage Rate

44.4%

Male Marriage Rate

43.9%

Female Marriage Rate

Salinas Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Salinas Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.

Salinas Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Salinas Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

3,271

Number of Veterans

2,995

Male Veterans

276

Female Veterans

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Salinas Veterans by War

count

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Salinas Veterans by Age

count

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Salinas Veterans by Race

Salinas Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

7.96%

Veteran Poverty Rate

34.63%

Veteran Disability Rate

Salinas Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

63.5%

Labor Force Participation

60.1%

Employment Rate

5.3%

Unemployment Rate

Salinas Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Salinas Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Salinas Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

57.04%

Born in Salinas

64.21%

Native Born

36.7%

Foreign Born

27.59%

Non Citizen

9.12%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

64.21% of Salinas residents were born in the United States, with 57.04% having been born in California. 27.59% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Salinas Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
1870599-157,4243.57%
18801,8541,25511.96%
18902,3394852.35%
19003,3049653.51%
19103,7364321.24%
19204,3085721.43%
193010,2635,9559.07%
194011,5861,3231.22%
195013,9172,3311.85%
196028,95715,0407.6%
197058,89629,9397.36%
198080,47921,5833.17%
1990108,77728,2983.06%
2000151,06042,2833.34%
2010150,441
2011151,7511,3100.87%
2012153,0611,3100.86%
2013154,3711,3100.86%
2014155,6811,3100.85%
2015156,9911,3100.84%
2016158,3011,3100.83%
2017159,6111,3100.83%
2018160,9211,3100.82%
2019162,2311,3100.81%
2020163,3971,1660.72%
2021162,791-606-0.37%
2022162,187-604-0.37%
2023161,585-602-0.37%
2024160,986-599-0.37%
2025160,389-597-0.37%
2026159,794-595-0.37%
2027159,201-593-0.37%
2028158,611-590-0.37%
2029158,023-588-0.37%
showing: 34 rows

Salinas Population by Year