Monterey County, California
Located in California, Monterey County has a population of 437,613 residents and a median age of 35.5 years, making it the #165 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.7%. The median home value is $781,000, and the median household income is $97,230, which is 29% above the national median.
Demographics
Monterey County has a population of 437,613, making it the #165 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.5 years, which is 8.7% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Monterey County is $97,230, ranking #196 out of 3,222 counties — 29.4% above the national median. The poverty rate is 12.7% and unemployment stands at 5.0%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Monterey County is $781,000 (+177.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $2,055/mo and the homeownership rate is 52.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Monterey County, 28.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 16.3% below the national average, ranking #907 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Monterey County is 80.8 years. 22.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
13.9% of adults in Monterey County smoke , 32.8% are obese , and 18.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 22.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Monterey County is 7.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 10.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
20.4% of children in Monterey County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 20.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Monterey County is 69.2%. The mean commute time is 28.1 min, which is 1.7% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Monterey County voted Democratic with a margin of 29.8%. The vote was 63.4% Dem / 33.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 11.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Monterey County, California
Monterey County, California has a total population of 437,613, making it the 165th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Monterey County is 35.5 years, which is 8.7% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Monterey County is $97,230, which ranks #196 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 29.4% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.0%.
The median home value in Monterey County is $781,000, 177.0% above the national median. Renters in Monterey County pay a median gross rent of $2,055 per month. The homeownership rate is 52.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Monterey County, 28.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 16.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.1 min.
Monterey County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 61.6% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (26.9%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (5.5%).
All data for Monterey County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.