HomeCaliforniaMonterey County
Monterey County, California: commercial real estate data.
Monterey County, California had an estimated 436,251 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 441,012, across 3,281 square miles. County output reached $38.35 bn in 2024, 9,212 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 307 7(a) approvals worth $210.4 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Monterey County
How many people live in Monterey County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024437,613
- Households132,489
- Average household size3.30
- Median household income$97,230
- Median age35.5
- Median gross rent$2,055 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$781,000
- Home value to household income8.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher28.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over281,390
- Population under 18112,274
- Share under 1825.7 percent
- Population 65 and over65,068
- Share 65 and over14.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64260,271
- Civilian labor force197,008
- Unemployment rate5.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.6 percent
- Rank by population among California counties21st of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included165th of 3,222
Monterey County is the 21st largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 8.0 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.7 percent against 14.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Monterey County
Is Monterey County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024436,251
- Census 2020 base population441,012
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.08 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024614
- Births, 20245,461
- Deaths, 20242,817
- Natural change, 20242,644
- Net domestic migration, 2024-5,447
- Net international migration, 20243,415
- Total net migration, 2024-2,032
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-23,456
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2214th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.08 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 by more than net migration took away, so the population grew even though more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Monterey County
Where are people moving to Monterey County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,615
- People arriving, from those returns13,308
- Tax returns filed by households leaving10,141
- Net household movement-2,526
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.54 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$691.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$202,252
- Average income of a leaving household$83,691
- Largest single originSanta Cruz County (783 households)
- Largest single destinationSanta Clara County (642 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz County | 783 | 1,501 | $65.0 m |
| Santa Clara County | 670 | 1,147 | $171.0 m |
| Los Angeles County | 373 | 567 | $39.5 m |
| San Diego County | 235 | 393 | $16.9 m |
| Sacramento County | 213 | 319 | $25.0 m |
| Alameda County | 207 | 342 | $46.0 m |
| Fresno County | 182 | 307 | $14.9 m |
| San Benito County | 150 | 283 | $10.6 m |
Households arriving report $118,561 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Santa Cruz County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Monterey County
What is the Monterey County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$38.35 bn
- County GDP, 2023$37.04 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.5 percent
- GDP change over five years33.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the California areas BEA publishes18th of 58
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes155th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$87,624
Output grew 3.5 percent in the latest year and 33.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Monterey County
Employment by industry in Monterey County
- Covered employment, annual average200,244
- Establishments reporting15,844
- Average annual pay$61,375
- Average weekly wage$1,180
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment55,530
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$47,473
- Accommodation and food services, employment22,555
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$39,926
- Health care and social assistance, employment20,480
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$69,504
- Retail trade, employment16,085
- Retail trade, average annual pay$44,749
- Construction, employment7,563
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment7,358
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 55,530 | 590 | $47,473 |
| Accommodation and food services | 22,555 | 1,110 | $39,926 |
| Health care and social assistance | 20,480 | 6,384 | $69,504 |
| Retail trade | 16,085 | 1,201 | $44,749 |
| Construction | 7,563 | 1,184 | $75,820 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 7,358 | 559 | $46,246 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,690 | 384 | $90,508 |
| Other services, except public administration | 5,566 | 943 | $49,937 |
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting is the largest private sector at 55,530 jobs, 27.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Monterey County
How many businesses are in Monterey County?
- Establishments, all industries9,212
- Employment at those establishments116,784
- Annual payroll$7.05 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Monterey County
Building permits in Monterey County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024677
- Declared construction value permitted$163.4 m
- Single family units authorized512
- Multifamily units authorized165
- Multifamily share of units24.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$241,330
- Units authorized per 1,000 households5.1
Single-family homes are 75.6 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Monterey County
SBA loans in Monterey County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded307
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$210.4 m
- Average 7(a) approval$685,434
- Median 7(a) approval$289,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,999,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)3,531
- Jobs per approval11.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active61
- Distinct industries receiving approvals135
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms64
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter232
- Franchise loans32
- Franchise share of approvals10.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (33)
- Most active lenderWest Coast Community Bank (36)
- 504 approvals recorded154
- 504 gross approval dollars$168.4 m
- Average 504 approval$1,093,545
- Median 504 approval$740,000
- Distinct CDCs active11
- 504 jobs per approval7.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved6.5
- Most active CDCMortgage Capital Development Corporation (43)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$378.8 m
The average approval of $685,434 sits well above the median of $289,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 20.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Monterey County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Monterey County
Do SBA loans in Monterey County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded64
- Paid in full62
- Charged off2
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans3.1 percent
- Status: Cancelled34
- Status: Exempt from disclosure189
- Status: Paid in full62
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed20
Of the 64 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Monterey County
SBA lending by place in Monterey County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending21
- Salinas, approvals90
- Monterey, approvals76
- Pacific Grove, approvals28
- Seaside, approvals23
- Carmel, approvals18
- Marina, approvals15
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Salinas | 90 | $65,695,700 |
| Monterey | 76 | $47,317,900 |
| Pacific Grove | 28 | $13,332,000 |
| Seaside | 23 | $23,919,100 |
| Carmel | 18 | $8,197,600 |
| Marina | 15 | $15,201,800 |
| Carmel Valley Village | 9 | $973,800 |
| Soledad | 8 | $3,482,700 |
| 13 other borrower cities | 40 | $32,307,600 |
Salinas accounts for 90 approvals against 76 in Monterey. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Monterey County
How large is Monterey County?
- Land area3,281 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties17th of 58
- Width, east to west98.3 mi
- Height, north to south77.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land133
- Establishments per square mile2.81
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Monterey County
Flood risk in Monterey County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Monterey County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 060195
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 7
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book13
- Of those, participating in the NFIP13
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 7
- Communities carrying a CRS class2
- Radon levels in Monterey County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Monterey County (community 060195), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 7, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Monterey County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 7, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Monterey County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Monterey County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024437,613
- Households132,489
- Average household size3.30
- Median household income$97,230
- Median age35.5
Common questions
Monterey County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Monterey County, California?
The Census Bureau estimates 436,251 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 437,613, in 132,489 households, ranking 21st of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Monterey County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.08 percent since the 2020 census base of 441,012, to 436,251 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 5,461 births against 2,817 deaths, with net migration of -2,032. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Monterey County?
$97,230. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $781,000, which is 8.0 times income, and median gross rent is $2,055 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Monterey County?
9,212 establishments, employing 116,784 people with an annual payroll of $7.05 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Monterey County?
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting is the largest private sector at 55,530 jobs, 27.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 200,244 jobs at an average annual pay of $61,375, or $1,180 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Monterey County?
307 7(a) approvals totaling $210.4 m since FY2020, across 61 lenders, with a median approval of $289,000, plus 154 504 approvals worth $168.4 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Monterey County get paid back?
Of the 64 loans that have reached a final outcome, 62 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge-off rate of 3.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Monterey County?
677 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $163.4 m. Multifamily was 24.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Monterey County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Monterey County come from?
The largest single origin is Santa Cruz County, with 783 households. Arriving households report an average income of $202,252 against $83,691 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Monterey County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Monterey County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Monterey County
Cities and places in Monterey.
30 Census places lie wholly or partly in Monterey County. All 30 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas | city | 161,761 | 90 | Wholly in this county |
| Seaside | city | 31,814 | 23 | Wholly in this county |
| Monterey | city | 29,613 | 76 | Wholly in this county |
| Soledad | city | 26,365 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Marina | city | 22,563 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Greenfield | city | 20,232 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Prunedale | CDP | 19,723 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pacific Grove | city | 14,951 | 28 | Wholly in this county |
| King City | city | 13,604 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Gonzales | city | 8,492 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Castroville | CDP | 6,720 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Carmel Valley Village | CDP | 4,785 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Del Monte Forest | CDP | 3,613 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Las Lomas | CDP | 3,355 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Aromas | CDP | 3,245 | 6 | 43.8 percent here, 56.2 percent San Benito County |
| Carmel-by-the-Sea | city | 3,162 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Pajaro | CDP | 2,899 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Canyon | CDP | 2,477 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elkhorn | CDP | 1,664 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Del Rey Oaks | city | 1,570 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Boronda | CDP | 1,351 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fort Hunter Liggett | CDP | 1,119 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Chualar | CDP | 812 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| San Ardo | CDP | 462 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sand City | city | 404 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Lockwood | CDP | 240 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Spreckels | CDP | 174 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| San Lucas | CDP | 134 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bradley | CDP | 112 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Moss Landing | CDP | 45 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
A further 26 of the county's 307 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Monterey County, the largest being Carmel (18), Royal Oaks (4), San Miguel (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
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