Salinas, California

Salinas, California

Introduction to Salinas, California

Founded in the 1820s, Salinas is a city of nearly 150,000 people. Salinas is the county seat of Monterey County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Salinas has a metropolitan population of slightly over 400,000 people.

Salinas is located in central California about twenty minutes from the coast. It is an hour south of San Jose, an hour and forty-five minutes south of San Francisco, and twenty-five minutes northeast of Monterey. Salinas is in a very rich farming region that produces fruit and vegetables. It is known as the "Salad Bowl of America" because over 80% of the lettuce grown in the United States is grown in the Salinas area.

Salinas weather can be characterized as cool and moderate. September is the warmest month of the year with an average daily temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. December and January are the coolest months with an average daily temperature of 63 degrees. Salinas receives a little over 14 inches of rain a year.

Salinas Arts and Entertainment

Salinas is a city of modest size that provides some nice arts and entertainment offerings. Salinas is also close to both Monterey and San Jose allowing residents to take advantage of cultural and entertainment offerings of those two cities. Some of the more notable offerings in Salinas include:

• The California Rodeo Salinas
• The The National Steinbeck Center
• The Salinas Sports Complex
• The Western Stage

Monterey county is also home to nearly 75 wineries including well known names such as Blackstone, Chalone, Estancia, and Hess.

For the sports enthusiast, nearby San Jose is home to the Arena Football League's (AFL) San Jose SaberCats, the Continental Basketball Association's San Jose SkyRockets, Minor League Baseball's (MiLB) San Jose Giants who are a Class A Advanced affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, the National Hockey League's (NHL) San Jose Sharks, and the National Lacrosse League's (NLL) San Jose Stealth.

Comparative Profile of Salinas, CA

Comparing Salinas to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in California (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Male Share of the Population
Children Under 5 Years Old
Racial Diversity
Well-Paid Single Men
Senior Citizens
Age of the Population
Female Share of the Population

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Average Household Size
Portion of People Married

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Median Family Income
People Above Poverty
People in Middle Class or Better
College Educated Adults

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Walking and Biking to Work
Short Commute Times
Public Transportation Use
Working at Home

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Housing Recently Built
Affordability of Property Taxes
Affordability of Rents
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
People Living Alone

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Property Crime
Low Violent Crime

Salinas Almanac

Salinas Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

Salinas Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Political Contributions (2004)

Money donated by Salinas residents to parties and candidates for the 2004 elections.

by Political Party

by Presidential Candidate

Neighborhood and Nearby Area Names

According to the US Postal Service, Salinas, its neighborhoods, and/or surrounding areas are also referred to as:

Note that not all alternate names are acceptable for use in US Post Office addresses.

Nearby Cities and Towns

Salinas Hospitals

SALINAS VALLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
(Government - Hospital District or Authority)
450 EAST ROMIE LANE
(831) 757-4333
Emergency Service: Yes

NATIVIDAD MEDICAL CENTER
(Government - Local)
1441 CONSTITUTION BOULEVARD
(831) 755-4195
Emergency Service: Yes

Starbucks in Salinas

Wal-Mart in Salinas

Salinas High Schools (2004)

SALINAS HIGH
726 S. MAIN ST.
831-796-7400
Serves 2,617 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 26

EVERETT ALVAREZ HIGH
1900 INDEPENDENCE BLVD.
831-796-7810
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 2,188 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 25

ALISAL HIGH
777 WILLIAMS ROAD
831-796-7610
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 2,177 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 22.7

NORTH SALINAS HIGH
55 KIP DR.
831-796-7500
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 2,001 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 26

SPECIAL EDUCATION
132 W. MARKET ST.
831-755-6437
A Special Education School
Serves 794 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 6.9

MONTEREY COUNTY HOME CHARTER
901 BLANCO CIR.
831-755-0331
A charter school.
Serves 377 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 19.9

MOUNT TORO HIGH
10 SHERWOOD PLACE
831-796-7700
A Non-traditional School
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 325 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 16.7

SALINAS COMMUNITY
1420 NATIVIDAD ROAD
831-755-0300
A Non-traditional School
Serves 134 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

WELLINGTON M. SMITH JR. SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 80851
831-755-6457
A Non-traditional School
Serves 93 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

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