Monterey and King City receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Monterey
King City
Opportunity
65 · Top 31%
vs34 · Bottom 10%
Growth
14 · Bottom 4%
vs59 · Top 35%
Climate
85 · Top 9%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
12 · Bottom 8%
vs13 · Bottom 9%
Housing affordability
33 · Bottom 2%
vs46 · Bottom 8%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs48 · Bottom 3%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 48%
vs35 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Monterey | King City | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,613 | 13,604 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $102,846 | $66,761 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $62,773 | $19,413 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,425/sq mi | 3,583/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,076,300 | $449,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,353 | $1,534 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 36.2% | 42.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.0% | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.9% | 11.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.8% | 23.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2 | 56 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 4.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -66.7% | -24.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 69°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 16.2" | 11.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 53 mi | 88 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.3 min | 30.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 29.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.14 | 21.93 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 50.0% | 85.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Monterey
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
King City
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, wildfire.
Full profiles: Monterey, CA · King City, CA · How this is calculated: methodology