Hollister vs Salinas
Hollister, California versus Salinas, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Hollister and Salinas score about the same overall (46 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Hollister | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $96k | $84k |
| Cost of Living | $82k | $106k |
| Home Value | $639k | $574k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.82% | 0.67% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.68% | 20.76% |
| Unemployment | 6.4% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 52°F | 52°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 62°F | 63°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 13.7 in | 12.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 199 days | 208 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.9 | 70.5 |
| Air Quality | 32 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 61.1 | 62.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1256/100k | 1156/100k |
| Property Crime | 772/100k | 1692/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 42,093 | 162,783 |
| Median Age | 33.5 | 31.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.65 | 0.60 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 1.04 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | D+62 |
| White (%) | 22.8% | 12.1% |
| Black (%) | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 69.6% | 80.2% |
| Asian (%) | 3.0% | 5.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 1.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 35 min | 26 min |
| Walkability | 14.1/20 | 14.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 45 mi | 50 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.8% | 92.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 19.01 | 11.49 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Hollister or Salinas more affordable?
- Hollister has the lower cost of living: its index is $82k, compared with Hollister's $82k and Salinas's $106k. Median rent is $2k in Hollister versus $2k in Salinas.
- Is Hollister or Salinas safer?
- Salinas has the lower violent crime rate. Hollister reports 1256/100k and Salinas reports 1156/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Hollister or Salinas?
- The median home value is $639k in Hollister and $574k in Salinas, so homes are more affordable in Salinas.