The Town Files

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

City in Monterey County · population 3,220 (2020 Census)

Map: where Carmel-by-the-Sea is in CaliforniaCarmel-by-the-Sea
Median home
$2,000,001
Household income
$129,250
Jan low / Jul high
45° / 67°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
68.5

Carmel-by-the-Sea is a city of 3,220 people in Monterey County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more seaside character than 100% of California towns, hipper than 99% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 99% of California towns.

Carmel-by-the-Sea in our rankings:

How Carmel-by-the-Sea 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.

Carmel-by-the-Sea lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement98th pctFamilies68th pctQuiet72nd pctWalkability90th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals92nd pctVibrancy87th pctHip & trendy99th pctCollege town18th pctUpscale92nd pctVacation homes99th pctSeaside character100th pctCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving3rd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Carmel-by-the-Sea is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 15.5 times the median household income of $129,250, which is more affordable than 1% of California towns. Median rent is $2,707 a month. 60.1% of households own their home.

Carmel-by-the-Sea vs Monterey County vs typical California townCarmel-by-the-SeaMonterey CountyTypical California townHome value$2,000,001$781,000$596,900Household income$129,250$97,230$91,557Monthly rent$2,707$2,055$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingCarmel-by-the-SeaTypical California town
Median home value$2,000,001$596,900
Median rent$2,707$1,827
Median household income$129,250$91,557
Home value ÷ income15.5×6.4×
Homeownership60.1%67.4%
Median year built19501977
Seasonal / vacation homes44.8%—

Who lives in Carmel-by-the-Sea

PeopleCarmel-by-the-SeaTypical California town
Median age68.540.2
Age 65 and over58.0%17.7%
Under 183.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher72.9%27.7%
Below the poverty line6.2%10.3%
Veterans6.9%—
Born outside the U.S.12.0%—
Work from home11.7%13.4%
Average commute10.9 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband97.7%93.3%

Weather in Carmel-by-the-Sea

July highs average 67.2°F and January lows 44.7°F. About 20.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.3 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Carmel-by-the-Sea monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°60°45°Jan61°45°Feb63°46°Mar63°47°Apr64°49°May66°51°Jun67°53°Jul69°54°Aug71°53°Sep71°52°Oct64°48°Nov59°44°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.34.03.30.21.50.60.10.10.10.10.91.83.60.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Monterey station (2.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carmel-by-the-Sea since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on December 6, 1992 about 0.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 6, 1992.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Carmel-by-the-Sea by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s21990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

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

Storm events in Monterey County since 1996 by typeHail21Heat24Flood120Wildfire24High Surf19High Wind77Heavy Rain18Debris Flow40
NOAA Storm Events Database, Monterey County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 34 deaths recorded.

Monterey County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 13, 2024Severe StormDR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-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 Carmel-by-the-Sea itself the ACS puts it at 3.1%.

Largest industries in Monterey CountyAgriculture, forestry & fishi…55,530 jobs · $47,473Hotels & restaurants22,555 jobs · $39,926Health care & social assistan…20,480 jobs · $69,504Retail16,085 jobs · $44,749Construction7,563 jobs · $75,820Administrative & support7,358 jobs · $46,246
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Monterey County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Monterey 7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Carmel-by-the-Sea

3 public schools with 1,652 students, about 15.6 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Carmel High9-1279915.7
Carmel Middle6-847313.1
Carmel River ElementaryK-538020.0

Towns near Carmel-by-the-Sea

Carmel-by-the-Sea questions

Is Carmel-by-the-Sea, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Carmel-by-the-Sea scores better for retirees than 98% of California towns and quieter than 72%. 58.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 68.5).

How much does a house cost in Carmel-by-the-Sea?

The median owner-occupied home in Carmel-by-the-Sea is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $129,250, so homes cost about 15.5 times income. Median rent is $2,707 a month.

What is the weather like in Carmel-by-the-Sea?

July highs average 67.2°F and January lows 44.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.3 inches of snow.

Does Carmel-by-the-Sea get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carmel-by-the-Sea since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on December 6, 1992. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Carmel-by-the-Sea's Census boundary (GEOID 0611250). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.