Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Salinas. Monterey County comprises the Salinas, California,

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. 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 Carmel-by-the-Sea,

Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. 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 The Ohlone, formerly known as Costanoans (from Spanish meaning 'coast dweller'), are a Native American people of the Northern California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the ...

Salinan The Salinan are a Native American tribe whose ancestral territory is in the southern Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Range in the Central Coast of California. Today, the Salinan governments are now working toward federal tribal recognition ...

and the

Esselen The Esselen are a Native American people belonging to a linguistic group in the hypothetical Hokan language family, who are indigenous to the Santa Lucia Mountains of a region south of the Big Sur River in Big Sur, Monterey County, Califor ...

tribes. The county derives its name from Monterey Bay. The bay was named by

Sebastián Vizcaíno Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548–1624) was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain, the Baja California peninsula, the California coast and Asia. Early career Vizcaíno was born in 154 ...

in 1602 in honor of the ''Conde de Monterrey'' (or ''

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...

of Monterrey''), then the

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the A ...

. Monterrey is a variation of Monterrei, a municipality in the Galicia region of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

where the ''Conde de Monterrey'' and his father (the Fourth Count of Monterrei) were from.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (13%) is water. The county is roughly 1.5 times larger than the state of

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

, and roughly similar in population and the size to Santa Barbara County.

Adjacent counties

Santa Cruz County to the north, San Benito County, Fresno County, and Kings County to the east as well as

San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo. Junípero Serra founded the Mis ...

to the south.

National protected areas

* Los Padres National Forest (part) * Pinnacles National Park (part) * Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge * Ventana Wilderness (part) In October

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's ...

ended a five-year moratorium on leasing federal land in California to fossil fuel companies, opening 725,000 acres (1100 sq. miles; 29,000 ha) to drilling in San Benito, Monterey, and Fresno counties.

Marine protected areas

Soquel Canyon State Marine Conservation Area Soquel Canyon State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is an offshore marine protected area in Monterey Bay. Monterey Bay is on California’s central coast with the city of Monterey at its south end and the city of Santa Cruz at its north end. T ...

* Elkhorn Slough State Marine Reserve * Elkhorn Slough State Marine Conservation Area * Moro Cojo Slough State Marine Reserve * Portuguese Ledge State Marine Conservation Area * Pacific Grove Marine Gardens State Marine Conservation Area *

Lovers Point State Marine Reserve Lovers Point State Marine Reserve (SMR) is one of four small marine protected areas located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four MPAs together encompass . ...

* Edward F. Ricketts State Marine Conservation Area * Asilomar State Marine Reserve

Flora and fauna

Monterey County has habitat to support the following

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

: * Hickman's potentilla * Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander * Santa Cruz Tarweed * Southern Steelhead Trout * Yadon's piperia

Demographics

2020 census

''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

Share Affluent Households Monterey 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.) ''* 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) ''* 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

Places by population, race, and income

2010

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

reported that Monterey County had a population of 415,057. The racial makeup of Monterey County was 230,717 (55.6%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 12,785 (3.1%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 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 Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 117,405 (28.3%) from other races, and 21,357 (5.1%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

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 A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 401,762 people, 121,236 households, and 87,896 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

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%

, 3.8%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, 1.1% Native American, 6.0% Asian, 0.5%

, 27.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. 46.79% of the population were

or Latino of any race. 6.3% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and 5.4%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

ancestry according to Census 2000. 52.9% spoke

, 39.6% Spanish and 1.6%

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Taga ...

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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

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 Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $20,165. About 9.7% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

At the local level, Monterey County is governed by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. Like all governing bodies in California, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors is empowered with both

legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

and

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive di ...

authority over the entirety of Monterey County and is the primary governing body for all unincorporated areas within the County boundaries. The Board has five elected members, each of whom represents one of five districts. Taken together, the five districts comprise the entirety of the county. Current board members: * Luis Alejo - 1st District * John Phillips - 2nd District * Chris Lopez - 3rd District * Wendy Root Askew - 4th District (current board chair) * Mary Adams - 5th District The Board conducts its meetings in the

, Salinas, and is a member of the regional governmental agency, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.

Supervisorial Districts

Supervisorial district boundaries are divided roughly equally according to

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

, using

data In the pursuit of knowledge, data (; ) is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpret ...

from the most recent

. In addition, any

redistricting Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral distri ...

changes should approximately comply with both California law as well as the federal

Voting Rights Act The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights m ...

. Boundaries are adjusted

decennial An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints ...

ly based on data reported by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

for the most recent

. The next supervisorial election will be held on March 8, 2022.

District 1

The 1st District is geographically the smallest supervisorial district in Monterey County and is entirely within the

city limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. Similarly, corporate li ...

of the city of Salinas. Luis Alejo represents the 1st District on the Board of Supervisors. His current term expires in December 2020.

District 2

As the northernmost supervisorial district in Monterey County, the 2nd District includes the communities of Boronda, Castroville, Las Lomas, Moss Landing, Pajaro, Prunedale, Royal Oaks, the northern

neighborhood A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...

s of the city of Salinas, and those portions of the community of Aromas that are located within Monterey County. John Phillips is currently the Supervisor for the 2nd District. His current term expires in December 2022.

District 3

The 3rd District covers the majority of the Salinas Valley and southern Monterey County, extending to its

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...

with

. The district includes the unincorporated communities of Spreckels, Chualar, and Jolon; the eastern portion of the city of Salinas; the cities of Gonzales,

Greenfield Greenfield or Greenfields may refer to: Engineering and Business * Greenfield agreement, an employment agreement for a new organisation * Greenfield investment, the investment in a structure in an area where no previous facilities exist * Greenf ...

, Soledad, and King City; the military installations at Fort Hunter Liggett and Camp Roberts; and portions of the Los Padres National Forest. The 3rd District is represented by Chris Lopez. His current term expires in December 2022.

District 4

The 4th District includes the southwest portion of the city of Salinas, the cities of Del Rey Oaks,

Marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or ...

, Seaside, Sand City, and the former military installation at

Fort Ord Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, ...

.
Wendy Root Askew
currently holds the seat for 4th District Supervisor. Her current term expires in December 2024.

District 5

The 5th District is geographically the largest of the five supervisorial districts, and covers most of the Monterey Peninsula and southern

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

line of Monterey County down to the southern county border with

. The 5th District includes the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, and Pacific Grove; the unincorporated communities of Carmel Valley,

, Pebble Beach, San Benancio, Corral de Tierra, and Jamesburg; military installations at the

Presidio of Monterey The Presidio of Monterey (POM), located in Monterey, California, is an active US Army installation with historic ties to the Spanish colonial era. Currently, it is the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLI-FLC). ...

, the

Defense Language Institute The Defense Language Institute (DLI) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) educational and research institution consisting of two separate entities which provide linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other ...

, and the

Naval Postgraduate School The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a public graduate school operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California. It offers master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 70 fields of study to the U.S. Armed Forces, DOD c ...

; and the Ventana Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest. Mary L. Adams is currently the 5th District Supervisor. Her current term expires in December 2020.

State and federal Representatives

In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Monterey County is part of . In the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The ...

, Monterey County is split between , and . In the

California State Senate The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. D ...

, Monterey County is split between , and .

Policing

The Monterey County Sheriff provides court protection, jail management, and coroner service for the entire county. It provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county. Incorporated municipalities within the county that have their own municipal police departments are: Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas, King City, Marina, Seaside, Sand City, and Gonzales.

Politics

Voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration

Overview

For most of the 20th century, Monterey County was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. From 1900 until 1992, the only Democrats to carry the county were

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

, and

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

. Since 1992, the county has become a Democratic stronghold in Presidential and congressional elections, with

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

being the last Republican to win Monterey County. According to the California Secretary of State, as of April 2008, Monterey County has 147,066 registered voters. Of those voters, 72,550 (49.3%) are registered Democratic, 42,744 (29.1%) are registered Republican, 5,488 (3.7%) are registered with other political parties, and 26,284 (17.9%) declined to state a political party. Except for Sand City, all of the other cities, towns, and the unincorporated area of Monterey County have more individuals registered with the Democratic Party than the Republican Party. In Sand City, the Republicans have the advantage by 1 voter. In August 2018, it adopted a flag designed by a Nob Hill resident.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime rates

Media

Television service for the community comes from the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz designated market area (DMA). Radio stations Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz area of dominant influence (ADI) or continuous measurement market (CMM). Local newspapers include the ''

Monterey County Herald ''The Monterey County Herald'', sometimes referred to as the ''Monterey Herald'', is a daily newspaper published in Monterey, California that serves Monterey County. In December, 2013, the Herald's parent company Media News Group merged to become ...

'', Monterey County Weekly, Salinas Californian and the Carmel Pine Cone.

Home prices

As of December 2005, Monterey County ranked among America's ten most expensive counties, with Santa Barbara County topping the list with a median home price of $753,790. In Monterey County, the median home price was $699,900. In the northern, more densely populated part in the county, the median home price was even higher, at $712,500, making it the fourth most expensive housing market in California. The disparity between the

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

of roughly $48,305 and the median home price of $700k has been cause for recent concern over excluding potential home buyers from the market. The end of the

United States housing bubble The 2000s United States housing bubble was a real-estate bubble affecting over half of the U.S. states. It was the impetus for the subprime mortgage crisis. Housing prices peaked in early 2006, started to decline in 2006 and 2007, and reac ...

has caused prices to drop substantially, with median home prices having fallen to $280,000 as at September 2008.

Transportation

Major highways

U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States. It is also known as (The Royal Roa ...

State Route 1 * California 68

State Route 68 * California 146

State Route 146 * California 156

State Route 156 * California 183

State Route 183 * California 198

State Route 198

Public transportation

Monterey County is served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

trains and

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and pac ...

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 San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together f ...

Airports

Monterey Regional Airport Monterey Regional Airport is three miles (5 km) southeast of Monterey, in Monterey County, California, United States. It was created in 1936 and was known as the Monterey Peninsula Airport until the board of directors renamed it on Septemb ...

is located just east of the city of

Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...

. Commercial flights are available. *

Marina Municipal Airport Marina Municipal Airport is a public airport located two miles (3 km) east of the central business district of Marina, a city in Monterey County, California, United States. It is owned by the City of Marina. The airport is on the former ...

is located in the city of

Marina, California Marina is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,359, up from 19,718 in 2010. The city is located along the central coast of California, west of Salinas and northeast of Monterey. I ...

. *

Salinas Municipal Airport Salinas Municipal Airport is an airport in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, California, United States, three miles (4.8 km) southeast of Downtown Salinas, California, Salinas. It is included in the 2017–21 National Plan of I ...

is located in the southeast part of

Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish for "Salt Marsh or Salt Flats") is a city in California and the county seat of Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is the most populous city in Monterey County. Salinas is an urban area lo ...

. * Mesa Del Rey Airport is located in the city of

King City, California King City (variant: Kings City) is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located on the Salinas River southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of . It lies along U.S. Route 101 in the Salinas Valley of California's Cent ...

Communities

Cities

* Carmel-by-the-Sea * Del Rey Oaks * Gonzales *

* King City *

* Monterey * Pacific Grove * Salinas (county seat) * Sand City * Seaside * Soledad

Census-designated places

* Aromas * Boronda *

Bradley Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English. Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular. It is also an Anglicisation of t ...

* Carmel Valley Village * Castroville * Chualar *

Del Monte Forest Del Monte Forest (''Del Monte'', Spanish for "of the mountain") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 4,204, down from 4,514 at the 2010 census. The census area ...

, includes the well-known community of Pebble Beach * Elkhorn *

Fort Hunter Liggett Fort Hunter Liggett is a United States Army fort in Jolon, California, in southern Monterey County, California. The fort, named in 1941 after General Hunter Liggett, is primarily used as a training facility, where activities such as field maneuve ...

* Las Lomas * Lockwood * Moss Landing * Pajaro *

Pine Canyon Pine Canyon is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, California, just south of King City, California, King City. Pine Canyon sits at an elevation of . As of the 2020 United St ...

* Prunedale * San Ardo * San Lucas * Spreckels

Unincorporated communities

* Ambler Park * Big Sur Village * Bryson * Carmel Highlands * Carmel Valley * Corral de Tierra * Gorda * Jamesburg * Jolon * Notleys Landing * Old Hilltown * Pacific Grove Acres * Parkfield * Plaskett * Posts * Robles del Rio * San Benancio * Santa Lucia Preserve *

Slates Hot Springs Slates Hot Springs (also known as Big Sur Hot Springs, Slate's Hot Springs, Slate's Springs, and Slate's Hot Sulphur Springs) is the site of a hot spring in the Big Sur region of Monterey County, California. It is located north-northwest of Lope ...

* Springtown * Sycamore Flat *

Tassajara Hot Springs Tassajara Hot Springs is a collection of natural hot springs within the Ventana Wilderness area of the Santa Lucia Range and Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County, California. The hot springs were used by the indigenous Native Americans f ...

* White Rock

Other places

* Laguna Seca Ranch *

Military Base decommissioned in the 1990s, some of it was converted to

California State University, Monterey Bay California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB or Cal State Monterey Bay) is a public university in Monterey County, California. Its main campus is located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, straddling the cities of Seaside and ...

* Fort Hunter Liggett *

, home to the

and one of three

presidio A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th century, 16th and 18th century, 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Captaincy Genera ...

s in California *

Jacks Peak Park Jacks Peak Park is a county park in Monterey County, California. Its central feature is Jacks Peak, the highest point on the Monterey Peninsula, rising 1,068 feet (325 m) above Monterey and Carmel. The park encompasses 525 acres under control of th ...

, including the highest point on the Monterey Peninsula

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Monterey County. † ''county seat''

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> Unified: * Aromas-San Juan Unified School District *

Big Sur Unified School District Big Sur Unified School District is a public school district in the southern Big Sur region of Monterey County, California, United States. It was originally the Pacific Valley School in the 1920s and served residents on the south coast including M ...

* Gonzales Unified School District - It serves grades PK-12 in some sections and grades 9-12 only in other sections * Carmel Unified School District * Coalinga-Huron Unified School District *

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Monterey Peninsula Unified School District is a public school district based in Monterey County, California, United States. The district serves the cities of Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Sand City, Seaside and a portion of unincorporated De ...

* North Monterey County Unified School District *

Pacific Grove Unified School District Pacific Grove Unified School District is a public school district in Monterey County, California, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country prima ...

Pajaro Valley Joint Unified School District Pajaro (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Pájaro'', meaning "bird") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, California, United States. It is located on the south bank of the Paj ...

Shandon Joint Unified School District Shandon Joint Unified School District is a school district in San Luis Obispo County, California San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, ...

Soledad Unified School District Soledad Unified School District (SUSD) is a school district headquartered in Soledad, California Soledad is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. It is in the Salinas Valley, southeast of Salinas, the county seat. Soledad's ...

Secondary: *

Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Paso Robles Joint Unified School District is a public school district based in Paso Robles, California, Paso Robles, northern San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. References External links

* Paso Robles, California School ...

(While it is a K-12 unified school district, it only serves grades 9-12 in its section of this county) *

Salinas Union High School District Salinas Union High School District is a public school district in Monterey County, California, United States. The feeder districts are Alisal Union School District, Alisal Union, Graves, Lagunita, Salinas City Elementary School District, Salinas ...

South Monterey County Joint Union High School District South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

Elementary: *

Alisal Union Elementary School District Alisal is a Spanish word for "alder grove". It may refer to: People * Carlos Casado del Alisal (1833—1899), Spanish Argentine businessman * José Casado del Alisal (1830/32–1886), Spanish portrait and history painter Places * Alisal, Salin ...

Bradley Union Elementary School District Bradley is an English surname derived from a place name meaning "broad wood" or "broad meadow" in Old English. Like many English surnames Bradley can also be used as a given name and as such has become popular. It is also an Anglicisation of t ...

Chualar Union Elementary School District Chualar (Spanish for "Pigweed grove") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California, United States. Chualar is located southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of . The popul ...

Graves Elementary School District A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...

Greenfield Union Elementary School District Greenfield or Greenfields may refer to: Engineering and Business * Greenfield agreement, an employment agreement for a new organisation * Greenfield investment, the investment in a structure in an area where no previous facilities exist * Greenf ...

King City Union Elementary School District King City Union Elementary School District is a public school district based in Monterey County, California, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a co ...

Lagunita Elementary School District Lagunita is an ancient Maya city, located in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. It was identified in August 2014, along with Tamchen, by Ivan Sprajc, associate professor at the Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and his te ...

Mission Union Elementary School District Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity * Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

Pleasant Valley Joint Union Elementary School District Pleasure refers to experience that feels good, that involves the enjoyment of something. It contrasts with pain or suffering, which are forms of feeling bad. It is closely related to value, desire and action: humans and other conscious animals ...

Salinas City Elementary School District Salinas City Elementary is an elementary school district located in Salinas, California. As of 2015, Salinas City Elementary had an enrollment of about 9,000 students, of which 80% were Hispanic or Latino. Salinas City Elementary has 13 campuse ...

* San Antonio Union Elementary School District * San Ardo Union Elementary School District * San Lucas Union Elementary School District * San Miguel Joint Union Elementary School District *

Santa Rita Union Elementary School District Santa Rita Union School District is located in Salinas, California, USA. The district consists of Gavilan View Middle School (grades 6–8), Juan Gutierrez Middle School (grades 6–8), La Joya Elementary School (K-5), Santa Rita Elementary Schoo ...

Spreckels Union Elementary School District Spreckels may refer to: *Spreckels (surname) * Spreckels, California, originally a company town of the Spreckels Sugar Company *Spreckels Mansion, a mansion in Coronado, California, built for John D. Spreckels * Spreckels Mansion, a 1912 mansion b ...

Washington Union Elementary School District Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

Gallery

File:CalifCentralCoast.jpg,

- Midcounty coastline with the McWay Rocks in foreground File:CSUMB Fog.JPG,

California State University at Monterey Bay California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB or Cal State Monterey Bay) is a public university in Monterey County, California. Its main campus is located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, straddling the cities of Seaside and ...

File:CarmelScene.jpg,

Carmel-by-the-Sea Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and r ...

- Beach scene File:Golden Bough Playhouse.gif,

- Golden Bough Playhouse File:Forest Theater.jpg,

Forest Theater The Forest Theater is an historic amphitheater in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Founded in 1910, it is one of the oldest outdoor theaters west of the Rockies. Actor/director Herbert Heron is generally cited as the founder and driving force, an ...

File:Artichoke Capitol.JPG, Castroville - Main entrance to the city File:Gonzales water tower.jpg, Gonzales - Water tower File:View of sea.JPG,

Gorda, California Gorda (Spanish for "Fat") is a hamlet in Monterey County, California. It is located south of Cape San Martin, at an elevation of . It is one of the three small settlements of filling stations, restaurants, and motels located along State Route 1 ...

- A view of the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

File:Marina homes.jpg, Marina neighborhood File:Main Street Salinas CA December.jpg, Main Street - Salinas File:Monterey Bay Aquarium exterior August 2016.jpg, Monterey -

Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984. Its biologists ...

File:Cannery Row at night.jpg, Monterey - Cannery Row File:MontereyWharf&Harbor.jpg, Monterey - Fisherman's Wharf File:MontereyCommercialWharf.jpg, Monterey - Commercial Wharf File:Hat in three stages of landing claes oldemburg.jpg, Hat in three stages of landing by Claes Oldemburg - Salinas File:Beach walk.JPG, Monterey - Beachside recreational trail File:SCUBA diving lessons.JPG, Monterey - Scuba diving lessons in Monterey Bay File:Fremont Peak viewed from Monterey Bay Aquarium.JPG, Monterey -

Fremont Peak Fremont Peak can refer to one of several peaks. In the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in Nor ...

, viewed from the

File:Strawberry Fields near Amaral Road.JPG, Monterey County - Strawberry fields in rural area File:Into the Distance.jpg, Lapis Road looking south File:Junipero Serra Peak 2015 2.jpg,

Junipero Serra Peak Junipero Serra Peak is the highest mountain in the Santa Lucia range of central California. It is also the highest peak in Monterey County, and is located within the boundaries of Los Padres National Forest. It is named after Saint Junípero Serr ...

, highest point in the county File:SteinbeckHouse.jpg, Salinas -

John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...

's former home File:Sunset Marina.JPG,

Sunset File:Colton Hall.JPG, Monterey - Colton Hall File:Ranch style home in Salinas, California.JPG, Salinas - Newer Spanish-Revival style house in Harden Ranch File:$700,000 Home.jpg, Salinas - An average home in North Salinas File:North Salinas.jpg, Salinas - Residential neighborhood at Harden Ranch, Salinas File:Downtown Salinas.jpg, Salinas - Downtown File:NationalSteinbeckCentre.jpg, Salinas -

National Steinbeck Center The National Steinbeck Center is a museum and memorial dedicated to the author John Steinbeck, located at the California State University, Monterey Bay#Other locations, California State University, Monterey Bay at Salinas City Center building at O ...

File:Greenfield California.JPG, Agricultural fields in the Salinas Valley File:SteinbeckHouse.jpg, Steinbeck House - Salinas File:Nuestra Senora del la Soledad chapel.JPG, Soledad - Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad

Notes

References

External links

*
Monterey County Convention & Visitors BureauCarmel Magazine: The Lifestyle Magazine of the Monterey PeninsulaFinding Aid to the Monterey County Miscellany, 1844-1850
at

The Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library in the center of the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is the university's primary special-collections library. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retai ...

Arts Council for Monterey County
{{coord, 36.24, -121.31, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-CA_source:UScensus1990 California counties 1850 establishments in California Populated places established in 1850 Majority-minority counties in California