Salinas, California
Among the top 4% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 5% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 39% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 86% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 69% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 2% for walkability
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Salinas is a city in California with about 163,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, walkability, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on income tax and cost of living.
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
cool
82%53%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.4 in0.0 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$84k76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$106kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$574k93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 9% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 13% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.67%better than 75% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden20.76%better than 5% of US places
Unemployment5.0%better than 39% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)52°F92nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)63°F2nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation12.6 in5th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days231 daysbetter than 46% of US places
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 86% of US places
Comfortable Days208 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk70.5better than 42% of US places
Air Quality40 AQIbetter than 76% of US places
School Quality62.0better than 56% of US places
Violent Crime1156/100kbetter than 29% of US places
Property Crime1692/100kbetter than 26% of US places
Community
Population162,78399th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age31.712th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6093rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0464th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+622nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)12.1%5th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.9%57th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)80.2%98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)5.1%91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)1.6%36th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time26 minbetter than 50% of US places
Walkability14.5/20better than 98% of US places
Airport Distance50 mibetter than 68% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access92.3%better than 73% of US places
Amenities Nearby11.49better than 15% of US places
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 94% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Salinas an affordable place to live?
- Salinas is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $106k, better than 0% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Salinas?
- The median home value in Salinas is $574k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Salinas?
- Median household income in Salinas is $84k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Salinas?
- Median gross rent in Salinas is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Salinas safe?
- Salinas is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1156/100k (better than 29%). Property crime is 1692/100k.
- What is the weather like in Salinas?
- Salinas averages 63°F in July and 52°F in January, with 12.6 in of annual precipitation and about 231 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Salinas?
- Public-school quality in Salinas is about average, scoring better than 56% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Salinas?
- The average one-way commute in Salinas is 26 min.
Other places in Santa Cruz County
Places near Salinas
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)