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Monterey County, California: crime rate, income and local data
Monterey County averaged 4.3 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, close to the California rate (4.8). Median household income is $97,230 and the unemployment rate was 5.7% in August 2026. About 437,613 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Monterey County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 1,876 violent and 5,537 property crimes per year. The violent rate, 4.3 per 1,000 people, is close to the California rate (4.8); nationally it is 3.7. Property crime ran at 12.7 per 1,000, against 21.2 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 69% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 32 homicide deaths a year in the county (7.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Monterey County | Per 1,000 | California per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,876 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 18 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 192 | 0.44 | 0.37 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 376 | 0.87 | 1.2 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 1,290 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 5,537 | 12.7 | 21.2 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 789 | 1.8 | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 3,934 | 9.1 | 13.6 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 814 | 1.9 | 4.3 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (13 agencies; 99% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Monterey County?
Half of households in Monterey County make more than $97,230 and half make less; across California the midpoint is $99,122. The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $781,000 by its owners; renters pay a median $2,055. 9.6% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.4%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.7% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 12,991 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Monterey County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 437,613 | 39,287,377 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $97,230 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $781,000 | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $2,055 | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.2% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 12.7% | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 9.6% | 12.4% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 28.2% | 37.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 52.1% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 37.9 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 93.8% | 93.5% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 9.6% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Monterey County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Monterey County as “Relatively High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are wildfire (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and earthquakes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 2 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Monterey County: Fort Ord and Crazy Horse Sanitary Landfill. 1 other site has finished cleanup and been taken off the list. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 5 high-hazard dams in Monterey County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 3 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are San Antonio (202 ft) and Los Padres (148 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
6 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 24,485 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Monterey County was covered by 7 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 4, Flood 2, Fire 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 0 of 366 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 157 community water systems, 32 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 45 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 13 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Monterey County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 8 highway work zones in Monterey County (all active that day). Roads listed: US 101, SR 1 and SR 183. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Monterey County?
Federal school lists show 151 public and 18 private schools in the county. 14 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 52 fire or EMS stations and 15 police or sheriff stations. 15 state parks or recreation areas: Andrew Molera State Park, Carmel River State Beach, Dunes State Park, Fort Ord Dunes State Park and Fremont Peak State Park and 10 more.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Monterey County
Gun shops
4 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Monterey County, plus 8 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). On the ATF list: FFL Services 831 (Marina), Rag Firearms LLC (Salinas), Turner's Outdoorsman (Salinas) and Valley Fabrication INC (Salinas).
Liquor stores
51 liquor stores are on the map in Monterey County: 10th St Liquor (Monterey), Alta Liquors (Gonzales), Bevmo (Carmel), Bozzo's Liquor (Salinas), Central Liquor (Salinas), Chin Brothers Grocery And Liquor (Salinas), Chualar Liquor (Chualar), Clay's Liquor (Salinas) and 43 more.
Planned Parenthood
2 Planned Parenthood health centers are on the map in Monterey County: Planned Parenthood Mar Monte (Salinas) and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte (Seaside).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Monterey County?
Monterey County averaged 1,876 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 4.3 per 1,000 residents, close to the California rate (4.8). The property-crime rate was 12.7 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Monterey County?
$97,230 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $99,122 for California and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Monterey County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 5.7% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 12,991 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Monterey County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Monterey County as “Relatively High”. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are wildfire (Relatively High), river flooding (Relatively High) and earthquakes (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in Monterey County?
EPA lists 2 active Superfund sites (final or proposed) in Monterey County: Fort Ord and Crazy Horse Sanitary Landfill. 1 other site has finished cleanup and been taken off the list.
Is there road construction in Monterey County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 8 highway work zones in Monterey County (all active that day). Roads listed: US 101, SR 1 and SR 183.
How many nursing homes are in Monterey County?
14 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Monterey County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno County | 1,016,725 | 6.6 | $74,201 |
| Kings County | 153,298 | 4.4 | $70,995 |
| San Benito County | 67,290 | 3.3 | $114,394 |
| San Luis Obispo County | 281,555 | 4.0 | $97,446 |
| Santa Cruz County | 264,926 | 3.8 | $111,093 |
Cities in Monterey County with their own page: Salinas.
More: California statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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