Housing data for Monterey, CA

Monterey, CA has an estimated 29,613 residents and 14,136 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).

It is a city in Monterey County.

63.8% of households rent.

The median gross rent is $2,353 a month.

Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+4.4%).

Figures last updated on .

Residents
29,613 (±34)
Housing units
14,136 (±460)
Households that rent
63.8%
Median gross rent
$2,353
Residents since 2015–2019
+4.4%

What stands out in Monterey

Working from home: 23.0% (±3.4 points) in Monterey, higher than in Monterey County (9.8%).

Households that moved in since 2020: 34.8% (±3.3 points) in Monterey, higher than in Monterey County (21.0%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 28.8% (±3.4 points) in Monterey, higher than in Monterey County (17.6%).

Median home value: $1,076,300 (±$34,046) in Monterey, higher than in Monterey County ($781,000).

Housing in Monterey at a glance

Monterey against Monterey County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
MontereyMonterey CountyCaliforniaUnited States
Residents29,613 (±34)437,613 (exact)39,287,377 (exact)334,922,499
Housing units14,136 (±460)145,469 (±143)14,644,735 (±1,665)143,775,355
Households that rent63.8% (±3.2 points)47.9% (±1.0 points)44.1% (±0.2 points)34.8%
Median gross rent$2,353 (±$60)$2,055 (±$32)$2,036 (±$5)$1,413
Median household income$102,846 (±$7,149)$97,230 (±$1,883)$99,122 (±$310)$80,734
Median home value$1,076,300 (±$34,046)$781,000 (±$13,801)$734,700 (±$1,307)$332,700
Median real estate taxes (a year)$6,071 (±$810)$4,910 (±$119)$5,124 (±$17)$3,119
Built before 198069.7% (±5.2 points)58.4% (±1.3 points)56.0% (±0.2 points)49.7%
Average commute18.5 minutes (±1.7)25.4 minutes (±0.4)28.7 minutes (±0.1)26.4 minutes
Households with broadband94.6% (±1.4 points)93.8% (±0.4 points)93.5% (±0.1 points)91.0%
Median age of residents37.5 years (±2.5)35.5 years (±0.1)37.9 years (±0.1)38.9 years

Monterey covers 8.6 square miles of land, about 3,425 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).

How Monterey has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2015–20192020–2024Amount of changeVerdict
Residents28,352 (±56)29,613 (±34)+4.4%Measurable increase
Housing units13,510 (±520)14,136 (±460)+4.6%Not a measurable change
Median gross rent$1,793 (±$43)$2,353 (±$60)+31.2%Up after inflation
Median home value$782,500 (±$32,711)$1,076,300 (±$34,046)+37.5%Up after inflation
Median household income$80,694 (±$5,181)$102,846 (±$7,149)+27.5%No measurable change after inflation
Median owner cost with a mortgage$2,930 (±$184)$3,137 (±$288)+7.1%Down after inflation
Median real estate taxes$4,879 (±$444)$6,071 (±$810)+24.4%No measurable change after inflation
Households that rent62.1% (±2.4 points)63.8% (±3.2 points)+1.7 percentage pointsNot a measurable change
Rental vacancy rate5.1% (±2.5 points)3.6% (±1.7 points)−1.5 percentage pointsNot a measurable change

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Crime reported to police in Monterey

In 2025, the Monterey Police Department reported 348 violent and 1,365 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.

Across Monterey County, the departments that report recorded 424 violent and 1,143 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.

ZIP codes in Monterey

ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that cover this place (2020–2024 estimates)
ZIP codeShare of the ZIP’s land in this placeResidentsMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household income
93943100%10———
9394499%2,665———
9394023%30,605$2,364$1,099,300$106,044

A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.

Places near Monterey

Nearest places with Census figures, by straight-line distance
PlaceDistanceMedian gross rentMedian home valueHouseholds that rent
Sand City2.4 mi$2,316$1,080,40081.5%
Pacific Grove2.8 mi$2,455$1,190,40049.6%
Del Rey Oaks3.1 mi$3,298$835,80023.9%
Del Monte Forest3.7 mi$3,500 or more$2,000,000 or more12.8%
Carmel-by-the-Sea4.0 mi$2,707$2,000,000 or more39.9%
Seaside4.0 mi$2,409$787,10064.6%
Marina7.5 mi$2,101$818,70057.1%
Carmel Valley Village11 mi$2,211$1,275,50020.8%

Places in California most like Monterey

PlaceMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household incomeHouseholds that rent
Twin Lakes$2,344$959,100$90,08759.2%
Costa Mesa$2,446$1,115,100$111,50560.4%
Santa Barbara$2,413$1,570,800$106,18260.1%
Goleta$2,437$1,062,100$122,37049.3%
East Palo Alto$2,244$1,102,600$113,49350.9%
Santa Cruz$2,452$1,209,000$115,47551.6%

Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.

HUD Fair Market Rent for Monterey, fiscal year 2027

Salinas, CA MSA, dollars a month
Studio1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
$1,956$2,009$2,416$3,261$3,551

HUD income limits for Monterey, fiscal year 2026

Salinas, CA MSA, annual household income
Household sizeExtremely low (30%)Very low (50%)Low (80%)
1 person$32,850$54,750$87,600
2 people$37,550$62,600$100,100
3 people$42,250$70,400$112,600
4 people$46,900$78,200$125,100
5 people$50,700$84,500$135,150
6 people$54,450$90,750$145,150
7 people$58,200$97,000$155,150
8 people$61,950$103,250$165,150

These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Salinas, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $110,500.

A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Monterey

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Monterey beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Monterey, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Monterey, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Monterey

What is the average rent in Monterey, CA?

The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Monterey is $2,353 (±$60) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.

How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Monterey?

The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Monterey, CA is $2,001 (±$126) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are renters in Monterey rent-burdened?

56.1% of renting households in Monterey pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many renters are there in Monterey?

Monterey has an estimated 7,999 (±519) renting households, 63.8% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the median household income in Monterey?

The median household income in Monterey is $102,846 (±$7,149) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the average home value in Monterey, CA?

The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,076,300 (±$34,046) for owner-occupied homes in Monterey (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is Monterey growing?

In Monterey, the number of residents went from 28,352 in 2015–2019 to 29,613 in 2020–2024 (+4.4%), a measurable increase.

What ZIP codes are in Monterey?

The ZIP codes that cover Monterey are 93943, 93944, 93940.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Monterey city, California (place:48872, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.

Figures last updated on .

Related