Salinas, CA: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Salinas (; Spanish for "Salt Flats") is a city in and the county seat of Monterey County, California, United States. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County. Salinas is an urban area located along the eastern limits of the Monterey Bay Area, lying just south of the San Francisco Bay Area and 10 miles (16 km) southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River. The city is located at the mouth of the Salinas Valley, about eight miles (13 km) from the Pacific Ocean, and it has a climate more influenced by the ocean than the interior. Salinas serves as the main business, governmental, and industrial center of the region. The marine climate …

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

How Salinas ranks

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#98Closest to a top hospital in CA #99Lowest depression in CA #230Fastest growing in CA All CA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code93901, 93902, 93905

Area code831

Living in Salinas

Housing in Salinas

$748K▲ 1.4% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Salinas home is worth about $748,000, up 1.4% in a year, close to the California typical home.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market11

Sale-to-list99.7%

Sold in May51

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Salinas

C⁻

Safety Grade C-

Salinas reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 78% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 55%.

Violent crime per 1,000

Salinas 5.1

California 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Salinas 14.6

California 18.2

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Salinas

Compared with California

2better than CA·13worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 17 are too close to call.

Conditions 2▲ 1▼ 9 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care 4▼ 3 close Mind 2▼ 3 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

4.4%Fewer adults who have had cancerCA 6.4% · better 17.8%Fewer adults with arthritisCA 20.8% · better 22.4%More uninsured adultsCA 10.6% · worse

Care nearby

Natividad Medical CenterSalinas · 0.4 mi · ER

County of Monterey - Laurel Family PracticeSalinas · 0.4 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · part of Salinas

DentalShortage · part of Salinas

Mental healthShortage · part of Salinas

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Salinas · CMS · HRSAHealth in Salinas →

Schools in Salinas

All Salinas schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools Salinas’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 53% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Salinas’s schools compare in CA →

DistrictSalinas Union HighSchools54

Sherwood ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 859 students Monte Bella ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 812 students Henry F. Kammann ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 743 students Fremont ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 711 students Natividad ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 705 students Mission Park ElementaryElementary · Grades K–6 · 657 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within CA. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from SalinasWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Salinas.Meet them →