Salinas is the county seat of Monterey County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 151,060. The city developed in the 19th century as an Anglo response to the predominantly Italian fishing community Monterey, California.

Salinas' economy depends much on agriculture. Located in one of California's richest farming regions, Salinas produces a variety of fruits and vegetables, including watermelons, broccoli, carrots, cabbages, and spinach.

Salinas was also the birthplace of John Steinbeck.

Contents

1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Financial situation 4 External links

Geography

Salinas is located at 36°41'2" North, 121°38'35" West (36.683859, -121.643128).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.2 km² (19.0 mi²). 49.2 km² (19.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 151,060 people, 38,298 households, and 30,025 families residing in the city. The population density is 3,068.1/km² (7,948.4/mi²). There are 39,659 housing units at an average density of 805.5/km² (2,086.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 45.16% White, 3.27% African American, 1.26% Native American, 6.22% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 38.70% from other races, and 5.12% from two or more races. 64.13% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 38,298 households out of which 49.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% are married couples living together, 14.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% are non-families. 17.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.66 and the average family size is 4.07.

In the city the population is spread out with 32.0% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 28 years. For every 100 females there are 113.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 117.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $43,720, and the median income for a family is $44,667. Males have a median income of $35,641 versus $27,013 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,495. 16.7% of the population and 12.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.1% of those under the age of 18 and 9.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Financial situation

As of December 2004, the financial state of the local government is not good. Funding levels are so low that in December, 2004, Salinas became the first city in the United States to completely close down its library system, due to a lack of funds. Those opposed to closing the libraries have alleged that voters did not believe that the entire library system could be shut down, even if they failed to approve ballot funding measures, suggesting that there was not enough time for a proper public awareness campaign prior to the election.

External links