In Monterey County, California, rent on a two-bedroom takes about three in ten dollars of the typical household's income
In Monterey County, 31.6% of the typical household's income would go to rent on a two-bedroom. That is higher than in 98% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 59% of U.S. counties.
What drives Monterey County's score
In Monterey County, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 92.5. Jobs come next, at 82.3.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in Monterey County: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each part is scored from 0 to 100, and a higher score means worse off than other counties.
Monterey County does better than most counties on two measures: people with a disability (9.3%, 2020 to 2024) and median household income ($91,761, 2024).
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 92.5 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorRenters, 2020–24 Census survey; HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent25.1% · 2020 to 202486th percentile
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income31.6% · fiscal year 202798th percentile
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- 82.3 of 100
Jobs
Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey
- Unemployment rate, average over the latest year7.6% · Oct 2025 to Sep 202698th percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working23.5% · 2020 to 202466th percentile
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- 37.0 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line13.7% · 202454th percentile
- Children below the poverty line18.0% · 202454th percentile
- People with a disability9.3% · 2020 to 20242nd percentile
- People without health insurance9.6% · 2020 to 202463rd percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$91,761 · 20249th percentile
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- 34.6 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector16.0% · August 202522nd percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people119.1 · 202546th percentile
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- 32.8 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind4.6% · August 202535th percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behind3.8% · August 202528th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score36.2% · second quarter of 202633rd percentile
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Sources: Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and Census income; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Sep 2026.
Where the money in Monterey County comes from
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Monterey County, 14.9% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally that year.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Monterey County
California
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Monterey County, benefit checks' share of income has tripled since 1969, reaching 17.1% in 2024, but pay from work still brings in about four times as much as benefit checks
In Monterey County, California, benefit checks' share of income tripled from 1969 to 2024, reaching 17.1%; pay from work is plotted alongside. Every fifth year and 2024 are shown.
- Benefit checks
- Pay from work
The share of households in Monterey County getting SNAP food aid rose most in two steps: 5.7% in 2011 to 6.5% in 2012; 8.8% in 2023 to 9.6% in 2024.
The share of households in Monterey County getting SNAP food aid doubled to 9.6%, the highest on the chart
Biggest rise: 2011 to 2012, reaching 6.5%. Households getting SNAP, every year; each bar is a five-year survey estimate ending that year, so neighboring bars share most of their data, Monterey County, California.
How Monterey County has changed
Monterey County's population had its largest rise, from 352,363 in 1994 to 396,267 in 1999.
Monterey County's population nearly doubled from 1969 to 2024, reaching 436,251
High on the chart: 440,023 in 2019. Residents, yearly estimate, every fifth year and 2024, Monterey County, California.
The number of jobs located in Monterey County rose most sharply after its 1995 low, from 140,314 in 1995 to 163,873 in 2000.
The number of jobs located in Monterey County rose 40% from 1990 to 2025, reaching its highest on the chart
High on the chart: 198,525 in 2025. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, Monterey County, California.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 9.7% | 2025 7.9% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 12.3% | 2024 13.7% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1989 $29,417 | 2024 $91,761 |
The table uses 7.9% for 2025; the score uses 7.6% for the latest year (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026), both from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices.
Dated events in Monterey County's history
1850
Monterey County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Wikipedia
1996
A wildfire in October 1996 did $12.3 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
1998
A flash flood in February 1998 did $10 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
1999
A wildfire in September 1999 did $66.9 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2017
A debris flow in May 2017 did $10 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2020
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 439,035, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
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Since 1967
29 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Monterey County, 17 of them for flooding. FEMA
Monterey County beside its neighbors
Of the five counties that border Monterey County, two score higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, Monterey County ranks 4th of the six; Fresno County is highest, at 27.2%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno County, CA | 83 | 18.2% | 27.2% |
| Kings County, CA | 78 | 14.4% | 25.5% |
| Monterey County, CA | 59 | 13.7% | 17.1% |
| San Benito County, CA | 45 | 8.7% | 15.5% |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 39 | 11.9% | 15.0% |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 35 | 12.6% | 18.2% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Sep 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Monterey County the poorest county in California?
No, Monterey County's poverty rate was 13.7% in 2024, 24th highest of 58 in California (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Trinity County, at 23.0%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Monterey County ranks 30th of 58 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Monterey County
Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development work at nonprofit agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes free foreclosure-avoidance counseling, including help with mortgage-company conversations and available options Source CFPB.
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California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA)
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Our help directory lists 1,010 agencies approved for foreclosure counseling, by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Monterey County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026, built from Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it. Our methodology
- Urban Institute · Debt in America Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0.
- Rent on a two-bedroom and household income The rent share compares HUD fair market rent for fiscal year 2027 with Census Bureau median household income for 2024. The page calls this the typical household's income.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Monterey County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.