The Town FilesSeaside, California
City in Monterey County · population 32,366 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $787,100
- Household income
- $85,311
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 69°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 34.0
Seaside is a city of 32,366 people in Monterey County, California. The median home is worth $787,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more of a college town than 92% of California towns, better for cycling than 92% of California towns, more seaside character than 91% of California towns.
How Seaside ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Seaside is worth $787,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.2 times the median household income of $85,311, which is more affordable than 15% of California towns. Median rent is $2,409 a month. 35.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Seaside | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $787,100 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,409 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $85,311 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 9.2× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 35.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1968 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.6% | — |
Who lives in Seaside
| People | Seaside | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.8% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 21.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 26.2% | — |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.4% | 93.3% |
Weather in Seaside
July highs average 68.9°F and January lows 43.3°F. About 16.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 2 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Seaside since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on December 6, 1992 about 0.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 11, 1992.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on January 20, 2010.
Severe weather in Monterey County since 1996
Monterey County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Monterey County
Monterey County had 200,244 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,375 a year. Unemployment was 7% in 2023; in Seaside itself the ACS puts it at 5.9%.
Public schools in Seaside
12 public schools with 4,500 students, about 19.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaside High | 9-12 | 1,134 | 19.6 |
| Martin Luther King | K-6 | 572 | 21.2 |
| Seaside Middle | 7-8 | 532 | 19.0 |
| George C. Marshall Elementary | K-6 | 496 | 21.6 |
| Ord Terrace Elementary | K-6 | 452 | 19.7 |
| International School of Monterey (charter) | K-8 | 428 | 22.5 |
| Del Rey Woods Elementary | K-6 | 425 | 20.2 |
| Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula | K-8 | 340 | 21.3 |
| Central Coast High | 9-12 | 114 | 9.5 |
| Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Community Day | 9-12 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Monterey Peninsula UNF SCH DIST COM Day MID | 6-8 | 3 | — |
| Seaside Children's Center | Other | — | — |
Towns near Seaside
- Monterey, CA4.0 mi · 30,218 people · home $1,076,300
- Marina, CA4.1 mi · 22,359 people · home $818,700
- Pacific Grove, CA6.0 mi · 15,090 people · home $1,190,400
- Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA7.6 mi · 3,220 people · home $2,000,001
- Del Monte Forest, CA7.7 mi · 4,204 people · home $2,000,001
- Carmel Valley Village, CA9.8 mi · 4,524 people · home $1,275,500
- Castroville, CA10.3 mi · 7,515 people · home $617,100
- Salinas, CA11.1 mi · 163,542 people · home $654,100
Seaside questions
Is Seaside, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Seaside scores better for retirees than 34% of California towns and quieter than 13%. 12.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.0).
How much does a house cost in Seaside?
The median owner-occupied home in Seaside is valued at $787,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,311, so homes cost about 9.2 times income. Median rent is $2,409 a month.
What is the weather like in Seaside?
July highs average 68.9°F and January lows 43.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 16.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Seaside get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Seaside since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on December 6, 1992. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)