About one in 4 of Monterey’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Salinas (8%), Seaside (4%) and Pacific Grove (4%). Half commute less than 7 miles.

28%work in town

Where working residents work

In Monterey28%

Salinas8%

Seaside4%

Pacific Grove4%

Del Monte Forest4%

7 mi

median commute distance

24,631

jobs based in Monterey

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →

Health

Healthier than 91% of U.S. towns

Monterey beats the California average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.

AHealth Grade

32 measures vs. California

16 better14 too close to call2 worse

What stands out	Monterey	CA
Fewer uninsured adults	6.4%	10.6%
Fewer adults facing food insecurity	11.1%	17.9%
More adults who have had cancer	7.8%	6.4%

Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula

2.4 mi away · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

85th

percentile among CA towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →

Schools

Monterey’s public schools outperform 68% of California districts

The public schools Monterey’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 68% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

B+School Grade

School	Grades	Students	Grade
La Mesa	K–8	689	Not graded
Monte Vista	K–8	688	Not graded
Bay View Academy	K–8	477	B
San Carlos School Private	PK–8	317
Ryan Ranch Childrens Center Preschool Private	PK–K	116
Classical Christian Academy Monterey Bay Private	K–2	9

NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduationAll 10 schools →

Outdoors

8.9% of Monterey is conserved land

16 miles of trails across 36 parks and preserves.

#302for trails in CA

Map of Monterey: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk — Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below

8.9%

conserved · 696 of 7,810 acres

16 mi

of trails · 1.3 per sq mi

#280

most conserved land in CA

#383

most walkable in CA

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Huckleberry Hill Nature Preserve	1.5 mi	84
2. El Estero Park	1.2 mi	43
3. Veteran's Memorial Park	1.1 mi	58

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →

Housing

A typical Monterey home is worth about $1.16M

The typical Monterey home is worth about $1,160,000, up 0.8% in a year, 52% above the California typical home.

$1.16MZillow home value

Typical home value

Monterey$1.16M

California$764K

Market temperature

days on market

96.8%

sale-to-list price

+0.8%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety

Less crime per resident than 25% of U.S. towns

Monterey reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 75% report less.

CSafety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Monterey3.5

California4.3

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Monterey13.5

California18.2

U.S.15.5

25th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

40th

percentile among CA towns

100

violent crimes reported in 2025

387

property crimes reported in 2025

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →

Climate

Mild winters, pleasant summers

Monterey has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.

68°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter44–60°

Spring47–62°

Summer53–66°

Fall50–67°

+1.8°

vs. the 20th-century average

68°

typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →

Natural hazards

High risk, with earthquakes at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities.

63risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

EarthquakesInland flooding

paid flood claims since 1995

federal disasters paid out here

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →

College town

10% of Monterey is in college

3 colleges in town.

Monterey Peninsula College5,588 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: $11,373
Graduate: 40%

Naval Postgraduate School1,478 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: —
Graduate: —

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey334 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: —
Graduate: —

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

12 places in Monterey on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Larkin HouseNational Historic Landmark

Royal Presidio ChapelBuilt 1791 · National Historic Landmark

U.S. CustomhouseNational Historic Landmark

Monterey Old Town Historic DistrictNational Historic Landmark

Famous people from Monterey

59 notable people were born in Monterey.

See all 59 →

Leon PanettaAmerican politician, Secretary of Defense 2011–2013 · born 1938

Joel CourtneyAmerican actor · born 1996

Tory BelleciFilm maker and model maker, MythBusters build team member · born 1970

Sammy HagarAmerican rock singer · born 1947

Allison ScagliottiAmerican actress and musician · born 1990

J. R. CelskiShort-track speed skater · born 1990

About Monterey

City in California, United States

Official town website ↗

Monterey ( MON-tə-RAY; Spanish: Monterrey) is a city on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of 8.645 sq mi (22.39 km2) and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census. Monterey was founded by the Spanish in 1774, when Gaspar de Portolá and Junípero Serra established the Presidio of Monterey and the Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo. Monterey was elevated to capital of the Province of the Californias in 1777, serving as the administrative and military headquarters of both Alta California and Baja California, as well as its only official port of entry. Following the Mexican War of Independence, …

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)