Monterey_County,_California

Monterey County, California

Monterey County, California

County in California, United States


Monterey County (/ˌmɒntəˈr/ MON-tə-RAY), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035.[4] The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas.[5]

Quick Facts Country, State ...

Monterey County comprises the Salinas, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. It borders on the southern part of Monterey Bay, after which it is named. (The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County.) Monterey County is a member of the regional governmental agency: the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.

Scenic features along the coastline - including Carmel-by-the-Sea, Big Sur, State Route 1, and the 17 Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula - have made the county famous around the world. Back when California was under Spanish and Mexican rule, the city of Monterey was its capital. Today, the economy of the county is mostly based on tourism in its coastal regions, and on agriculture in the region of the Salinas River valley. Most of the county's inhabitants live near the northern coast or in Salinas Valley; the southern coast and inland mountainous regions are sparsely populated.

History

Gaspar de Zúñiga, 5th Count of Monterrey, namesake of Monterey Bay and thus the city and the county.

Monterey County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county were given to San Benito County in 1874. The area was originally populated by Ohlone, Salinan and the Esselen tribes.

The county derives its name from Monterey Bay. The bay was named by Sebastián Vizcaíno in 1602 in honor of the Conde de Monterrey (or Count of Monterrey), then the Viceroy of New Spain.[6] Monterrey is a variation of Monterrei, a municipality in the Galicia region of Spain where the Conde de Monterrey and his father (the Fourth Count of Monterrei) were from.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,771 square miles (9,770 km2), of which 3,281 square miles (8,500 km2) is land and 491 square miles (1,270 km2) (13%) is water.[7] The county is roughly 1.5 times larger than the state of Delaware, and roughly similar in population and the size to Santa Barbara County.

Adjacent counties

Counties and bodies of water adjacent to Monterey County, California

Santa Cruz County to the north, San Benito County, Fresno County, and Kings County to the east as well as San Luis Obispo County to the south.

National protected areas

In October 2019, the Bureau of Land Management ended a five-year moratorium on leasing federal land in California to fossil fuel companies, opening 725,000 acres (1100 sq. miles; 29,000 ha) to drilling in San Benito, Monterey, and Fresno counties.[8]

Marine protected areas

Flora and fauna

Monterey County has habitat to support the following endangered species:

Demographics

More information Census, Pop. ...

2020 census

More information Race / Ethnicity, Pop 2010 ...

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

Income, education and poverty 2013

Median Household Income across the populated northern half of Monterey County, as of 2014.
Percent of affluent households (i.e. $150k annual income or higher) across census tracts in most populated area of the county.[16]

Generally, the western/southern parts of the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Valley, Creekbridge (Salinas), and eastern parts of Prundale were the county's most affluent and educated (see dark blue on map). These areas had a median household income significantly above that of the California or the U.S. overall (typically above $95,000 vs. $60,000 for California and $52,000 for the U.S.)[17] and comprised roughly 8%-10% of neighborhoods (as defined by Census Block Groups).[18] Educational attainment was at least on part with, or above, state and national levels,[19] in these areas while the percentage of people living in poverty was typically a third or less than national and statewide average (with the exception of South Salinas).[20]

Social deprivation (poverty and low levels of educational attainment) was concentrated in the central and eastern parts of Salinas, and central areas of Monterey, Seaside, Marina, Soledad and King City. In central and eastern Salinas up to 46% of individuals lived below the poverty line and those without a secondary educations formed a plurality or majority of residents.[19][20] Overall, the Salinas metropolitan area, defined as coterminous with Monterey County, was among the least educated urban areas in the nation.

Most affluent neighborhoods

Roughly 8% of neighborhoods, as defined by Census Block Groups, had a median household income above $100,000 per year, about 60% above the national median. This coincided with the top 20 census block groups in the county listed below.[17][18]

Most affluent neighborhoods (Median Household Income above $100k/yr.)[18][21]

More information Rank, neighborhood ...

* Asterisk denotes a hypothetical rank among Monterey County's 226 Census Block Groups (e.g. if the U.S. overall was a Census Block Group in Monterey County, it would be the 141st most affluent of 226).

Least affluent neighborhoods

About 4.5% of neighborhoods, as defined by Census Block Groups, had a median household income below $30,000 per year, about 60% below the national median. This coincided with the 10 poorest of the 20 lowest income neighborhoods listed in the table below.[17][18]

Least affluent neighborhoods (Median Household Income of $34.1k or less)[18][21]

More information Rank, neighborhood ...

* Asterisk denotes a hypothetical rank among Monterey County's 226 Census Block Groups (e.g. if the U.S. overall was a Census Block Group in Monterey County, it would be the 86th poorest of 226).

2011

Thematic map showing percentage of households speaking only English at home.
More information Population, race, and income, Total population ...

Places by population, race, and income

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2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Monterey County had a population of 415,057. The racial makeup of Monterey County was 230,717 (55.6%) White, 12,785 (3.1%) African American, 5,464 (1.3%) Native American, 25,258 (6.1%) Asian (2.8% Filipino, 0.7% Korean, 0.6% Chinese, 0.6% Japanese, 0.4% Vietnamese, 0.4% Indian), 2,071 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 117,405 (28.3%) from other races, and 21,357 (5.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 230,003 persons (55.4%); 50.2% of Monterey County is Mexican, 0.8% Salvadoran, and 0.5% Puerto Rican.[29]

More information Population reported at 2010 United States Census, The County ...

2000

As of the census[30] of 2000, there were 401,762 people, 121,236 households, and 87,896 families residing in the county. The population density was 121 people per square mile (47 people/km2). There were 131,708 housing units at an average density of 40 units per square mile (15 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 55.9% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 1.1% Native American, 6.0% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islander, 27.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. 46.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 6.3% were of German and 5.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 52.9% spoke English, 39.6% Spanish and 1.6% Tagalog as their first language.

There were 121,236 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.14 and the average family size was 3.65.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 female residents there were 107.3 male residents. For every 100 female residents age 18 and over, there were 107.7 male residents.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,305, and the median income for a family was $51,169. Men had a median income of $38,444 versus $30,036 for the women. The per capita income for the county was $20,165. About 9.7% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

At the local level, Monterey County is governed by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. Like all governing bodies in California, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors is empowered with both legislative and executive authority over the entirety of Monterey County and is the primary governing body for all unincorporated areas within the County boundaries. The Board has five elected members, each of whom represents one of five districts. Taken together, the five districts comprise the entirety of the county.[31]

Current board members:

  • Luis Alejo - 1st District
  • Glenn Church - 2nd District
  • Chris Lopez - 3rd District
  • Wendy Root Askew - 4th District
  • Mary Adams - 5th District

The Board conducts its meetings in the county seat, Salinas, and is a member of the regional governmental agency, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.[32][33]

Supervisorial districts

Supervisorial district boundaries are divided roughly equally according to population, using data from the most recent census.[34] In addition, any redistricting changes should approximately comply with both California law as well as the federal Voting Rights Act.[34] Boundaries are adjusted decennially based on data reported by the United States Census Bureau for the most recent census.[34] The next supervisorial election will be held on March 8, 2022.[35]

District 1

The 1st District is geographically the smallest supervisorial district in Monterey County and is entirely within the city limits of the city of Salinas.[31][36]

Luis Alejo represents the 1st District on the Board of Supervisors.[37] His current term expires in December 2024.[38]

District 2

As the northernmost supervisorial district in Monterey County, the 2nd District includes the communities of Boronda, Castroville, Las Lomas, Moss Landing, Pajaro, Prunedale, Royal Oaks, the northern neighborhoods of the city of Salinas, and those portions of the community of Aromas that are located within Monterey County.[31][39]

John Phillips is currently the Supervisor for the 2nd District.[40] His current term expires in December 2026.[38]

District 3

The 3rd District covers the majority of the Salinas Valley and southern Monterey County, extending to its border with San Luis Obispo County. The district includes the unincorporated communities of Spreckels, Chualar, and Jolon; the eastern portion of the city of Salinas; the cities of Gonzales, Greenfield, Soledad, and King City; the military installations at Fort Hunter Liggett and Camp Roberts; and portions of the Los Padres National Forest.[31][41]

The 3rd District is represented by Chris Lopez.[42] His current term expires in December 2026.[38]

District 4

The 4th District includes the southwest portion of the city of Salinas, the cities of Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Seaside, Sand City, and the former military installation at Fort Ord.[31][43]

Wendy Root Askew currently holds the seat for 4th District Supervisor.[44] Her current term expires in December 2024.[38]

District 5

The 5th District is geographically the largest of the five supervisorial districts, and covers most of the Monterey Peninsula and southern coastline of Monterey County down to the southern county border with San Luis Obispo County. The 5th District includes the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, and Pacific Grove; the unincorporated communities of Carmel Valley, Big Sur, Pebble Beach, San Benancio, Corral de Tierra, and Jamesburg; military installations at the Presidio of Monterey, the Defense Language Institute, and the Naval Postgraduate School; and the Ventana Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest.[31][45][46]

Mary L. Adams is currently the 5th District Supervisor.[31] Her current term expires in December 2024.[38]

State and federal representatives

In the United States House of Representatives, Monterey County is split between two districts:

In the California State Assembly, Monterey County is split between the 29th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Robert Rivas, and the 30th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Dawn Addis.[47]

In the California State Senate, Monterey County is split between the 12th Senate District, represented by Republican Shannon Grove, and the 17th Senate District, represented by Democrat John Laird.[48]

Policing

The Monterey County Sheriff provides court protection, jail management, and coroner service for the entire county. It provides patrol and detective services for the unincorporated areas of the county. Incorporated municipalities within the county that have their own municipal police departments are: Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas, King City, Marina, Seaside, Sand City, and Gonzales.

Politics

Voter registration

More information Population and registered voters, Total population ...

Cities by population and voter registration

More information Cities by population and voter registration, City ...

Overview

For most of the 20th century, Monterey County was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. From 1900 until 1992, the only Democrats to carry the county were Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. Since 1992, the county has become a Democratic stronghold in Presidential and congressional elections, with George H. W. Bush in 1988 being the last Republican to win Monterey County.

More information Year, Republican ...

According to the California Secretary of State, as of April 2008, Monterey County has 147,066 registered voters.[citation needed] Of those voters, 72,550 (49.3%) are registered Democratic, 42,744 (29.1%) are registered Republican, 5,488 (3.7%) are registered with other political parties, and 26,284 (17.9%) declined to state a political party. Except for Sand City, all of the other cities, towns, and the unincorporated area of Monterey County have more individuals registered with the Democratic Party than the Republican Party. In Sand City, the Republicans have the advantage by 1 voter.

In August 2018, it adopted a flag designed by a Nob Hill resident.[51]

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

More information Population and crime rates, Population ...

Cities by population and crime rates

More information Cities by population and crime rates, City ...

Media

Television service for the community comes from the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz designated market area (DMA). Radio stations Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz area of dominant influence (ADI) or continuous measurement market (CMM). Local newspapers include the Monterey County Herald, Monterey County Weekly, Salinas Californian and the Carmel Pine Cone.

Home prices

As of December 2005, Monterey County ranked among America's ten most expensive counties, with Santa Barbara County topping the list with a median home price of $753,790. In Monterey County, the median home price was $699,900. In the northern, more densely populated part in the county, the median home price was even higher, at $712,500, making it the fourth most expensive housing market in California. The disparity between the median household income of roughly $48,305 and the median home price of $700k has been cause for recent concern over excluding potential home buyers from the market. The end of the United States housing bubble has caused prices to drop substantially, with median home prices having fallen to $280,000 as at September 2008.[55]

Transportation

Major highways

Public transportation

Monterey County is served by Amtrak trains and Greyhound Lines buses. Monterey-Salinas Transit provides transit service throughout most of Monterey County, with buses to Big Sur and King City as well as in Monterey, Salinas and Carmel. MST also runs service to San Jose, California in Santa Clara County.

Airports

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Other places

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Monterey County.[56]

county seat

More information Rank, City/Town/etc. ...

Education

School districts include:[57]

Unified:

Secondary:

Elementary:

See also

Notes

  1. Other = Some other race + Two or more races
  2. Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
  3. Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.

References

  1. "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  2. "Junipero Serra Peak". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. Gudde, Erwin G. (1949). California Place Names. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press. p. 222. ASIN B000FMOPP4.
  5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  7. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  8. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  9. Bureau, U.S. Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  10. "MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2013 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)". American Fact Finder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  11. "MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2013 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)". American Fact Finder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  12. "EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT FOR THE POPULATION 25 YEARS AND OVER". American Fact Finder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  13. "POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS BY HOUSEHOLD TYPE BY AGE OF HOUSEHOLDER". American Fact Finder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  14. "Map Index". American Fact Finder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  15. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  16. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  17. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  18. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  19. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  20. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  21. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  22. "Monterey County Supervisors and Their Districts". Board of Supervisors, County of Monterey. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  23. "Attend a Board Meeting". Board of Supervisors, County of Monterey. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  24. "AMBAG Board of Directors". Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
  25. "Districts and Redistricting, Monterey County Elections". Monterey County Elections Department. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  26. "Elected Officials County Offices". Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  27. "Monterey County Supervisorial District 1 Map" (PDF). County of Monterey. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  28. "Monterey County 1st District Supervisor Luis Alejo". Board of Supervisors, County of Monterey. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  29. "Board of Supervisors". County of Monterey. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  30. "Monterey County Supervisorial District 2 Map" (PDF). County of Monterey. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  31. "Monterey County Supervisorial District 3 Map" (PDF). County of Monterey. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  32. "District 3 - Supervisor Chris Lopez". County of Monterey. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  33. "Monterey County Supervisorial District 4 Map" (PDF). County of Monterey. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  34. "Jane Parker, Supervisor Fourth District". Board of Supervisors, County of Monterey. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  35. "Monterey County Supervisorial District 5 Map (North District 5)" (PDF). County of Monterey. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  36. "Monterey County Supervisorial District 5 Map (South District 5)" (PDF). County of Monterey. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  37. "Communities of Interest - Counties". California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  38. "Communities of Interest - Counties". California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  39. California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  40. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  41. Johnson, Jim (September 8, 2018). "Monterey County gets first-ever flag as final design chosen". Monterey Herald. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  42. Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  43. Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
  44. United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  45. "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 3, 2021.

36.24°N 121.31°W / 36.24; -121.31


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