Best Places to Live in Salinas, California

Salinas, California is a vibrant city located in the heart of Monterey County. Home to many outdoor attractions such as Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge and Toro Regional Park, visitors can explore nature at its finest when visiting Salinas. There are also plenty of cultural attractions including galleries and museums. For entertainment, visitors can explore boutique shops and restaurants along with movie theaters and live music clubs. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an exciting night out, Salinas has something for everyone! Beach town/Small city - Northern California, on the south end of Monterey Bay, 110 miles south of San Francisco.

State: California
County: Monterey County
Metro Area: Salinas Metro Area
City: Salinas

Zip Codes: 93906 93905 93901
Cost of Living: 40.5% higher
Time zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Elevation: 267 ft above sea level

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Salinas, Ca Housing Market

Least Expensive Homes	Homes Over 2,000 Sq. Ft.
Most Expensive Homes	Homes less than 10 yrs old
All Single Family Homes

Pros
Attractive setting
Year-round climate
Recreation/Entertainment

Cons
Tourist impact
Isolation
Cost of living and housing

What Bert Has To Say About Salinas Metro Area

Agricultural Salinas was dubbed the “salad bowl of the nation” by John Steinbeck because of its lettuce crops. Salinas is affordable and small in comparison to the others, but has the character of a typical California Central Valley town – dry, dusty, functional and with little intellectual stimulation. By contrast, nearby Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove are located on the coastal Monterey Peninsula. Carmel, a noted artist colony and Hollywood refuge, has controlled growth and maintains a charming village character with some exceptional residential properties, while Monterey is a more commercialized setup honoring its fishing village heritage for its many visitors. Pacific Grove, with its assortment of well-built Victorian and Craftsman-era homes, is probably the most livable city on the peninsula.

Highlights

ECONOMY

The unemployment rate in Salinas is 14.3% (U.S. avg. is 6.0%). Recent job growth is Positive. Salinas jobs have increased by 1.8%. More Economy

COST OF LIVING

Compared to the rest of the country, Salinas's cost of living is 40.5% higher than the U.S. average. More Cost of Living or Compare Salinas's Cost of Living

WEATHER & CLIMATE

August, September and July are the most pleasant months in Salinas, while January and December are the least comfortable months. Today's Weather | Climate Averages

VOTING

In the last Presidential election, Monterey county remained overwhelmingly Democratic, 69.5% to 28.2%. More Voting Stats

POPULATION

Salinas's population is 163,004 people. Since 2020, it has had a population growth of 6.6%. Learn More...

TRANSPORTATION

Average Commute time is 23.2 minutes. The National Average is 26.4 minutes. Learn More...

REAL ESTATE

The median home cost in Salinas is Real Estate: $665,400. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 7.8%.

SCHOOLS

Salinas public schools spend $8,882 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. There are about 26 students per teacher in Salinas. More Education

Best Places to Live in Salinas Rankings

#26	America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Mid-Size Metro Areas)
#105	America's Migraine Hot Spots
#132	Best Green Cities
#153	2005 Best Places to Live

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Housing Market in Salinas

It's a good time to buy in Salinas. Home Appreciation is up 7.8% in the last 12 months.
The median home price in Salinas is $665,400.

Schools: See Local Schools

Real Estate: See Homes

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Reviews for Salinas 15 Reviews

Sacred Heart School Pk- 8 - 7/19/2014
Sacred Heart School is a fine Catholic school in the heart of Salinas, Ca. Victoria Torcolini was principal of this PK-8 school from 2006-2009. Under her leadership, SHS... Read More

Victoria | Carmel, CA | Reply | No Replies

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The best place to live - 1/9/2012
I Was born and raise in salinas. In 2006 my family moved to the central valley. I moved back to salinas in 2011. I moved back Because I got a better job in Carmel. I... Read More

Hector | Salinas, CA | Reply | No Replies

Outstanding air quality, beautiful surroundings. - 12/25/2009
Salinas, California has some of the best weather in Central California. I love looking out at the mountain ranges that line the Salinas River Valley. It's a shame that... Read More

Bill | Salinas, CA | Reply | No Replies

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ZIP CODES IN SALINAS, CALIFORNIA

93906 93905 93901

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United States / California / Salinas Metro Area / Monterey County / Salinas / Zip Codes