Watsonville city, California
CityPopulation: 51,968 (2023 estimate)
Located in California , California
Census Bureau data for Watsonville city from the American Community Survey. "Cities" in Census data include incorporated places, towns, villages, and census-designated places (CDPs) — all places where the Census collects community-level estimates.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Watsonville city
- What is the median household income in Watsonville city?
- The median household income in Watsonville city is $74,785 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Watsonville city?
- The poverty rate in Watsonville city is 12.8% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Watsonville city?
- $657,700 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Watsonville city?
- The median gross rent in Watsonville city is $1,784 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Watsonville city residents have a college degree?
- 12.7% of adults in Watsonville city hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
51,968
Median Income
$74,785
Median Home Value
$657,700
Poverty Rate
12.8%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
7.9%
Median Age
32.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$19,315 (+34.8%)
Home Value:
+$193,500 (+41.7%)
Poverty Rate:
-0.6 pp (-4.5%)
Bachelor's+:
+0.4 pp (+3.3%)
Unemployment:
+0.4 pp (+5.3%)
Demographics
Total Population
51,968
Median Age
32.0
Female
50.2%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 83.5%
White (non-Hisp.) 12.1%
Black 1.0%
Asian 2.5%
Two or More 20.3%
Other 43.5%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Filipino
1.1%
Japanese
0.7%
Chinese
0.3%
Indian
0.2%
Vietnamese
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
79.0%
Puerto Rican
0.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$74,785
±$6,675
-$21,549 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$94,912
Median Family Income
$81,170
Poverty Rate
12.8%
+4.4 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
13.3%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
21.8%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
18.6%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
3.1%
$10–15k
4.5%
$15–25k
9.4%
$25–35k
7.5%
$35–50k
10.5%
$50–75k
15.2%
$75–100k
17.7%
$100–150k
15.4%
$150–200k
7.6%
$200k+
9.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
15,792
Owner-Occupied
43.6%
Renter-Occupied
56.4%
Vacancy Rate
3.3%
Median Home Value
$657,700
-$37,700 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,784
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
36.1%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
49.4%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
0.8%
$50–100k
0.7%
$100–200k
1.4%
$200–300k
3.1%
$300–500k
14.8%
$500k–$1M
72.1%
$1M+
5.5%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
9.5%
$500–1k
8.2%
$1–1.5k
16.4%
$1.5–2k
28.0%
$2–2.5k
16.7%
$2.5–3.5k
11.3%
$3.5k+
10.0%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
7.4%
1 vehicle
24.6%
2 vehicles
38.7%
3+
29.3%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
54.4%
Single-fam. att.
8.3%
2–4 units
2.1%
5–19 units
6.5%
20+ units
13.7%
Mobile home
5.9%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
12.4%
1940–1969
5.3%
1970–1999
19.5%
2000–2009
15.5%
2010+
1.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
65.5%
Bachelor's or Higher
12.7%
-23.8 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
4.2%
Some College / Associate
20.9%
Less Than High School
24.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
62.3%
Unemployment Rate
7.9%
+1.5 pp vs. state
Work from Home
6.1%
Self-Employed
5.7%
Government Workers
14.1%
Private For-Profit
79.7%
Industry
Edu/Health
20.6%
Agriculture
15.0%
Retail
10.1%
Prof. Services
9.7%
Arts/Entmt.
7.8%
Transportation
7.5%
Construction
7.3%
Manufacturing
7.2%
Wholesale
3.5%
Public Admin
3.1%
Information
2.0%
Finance
1.9%
Occupation
Management
22.3%
Construction
22.3%
Food Prep
20.3%
Sales
18.8%
Production
16.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
26.8 min
Drove Alone
70.1%
Carpool
16.7%
Public Transit
1.4%
Work from Home
6.1%
Walked
1.4%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
15,267
Avg. Household Size
3.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
48.6%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
22.2%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
7.1%
5–9
7.7%
10–14
9.2%
15–19
8.5%
20–24
7.6%
25–34
12.1%
35–44
12.3%
45–54
12.3%
55–64
5.1%
65–74
5.6%
75–84
7.6%
85+
3.1%
Under 18: 29.8%
Working age (18–64): 70.2%
65 and over: 12.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
35.1%
Naturalized Citizen
37.5%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
32.3%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
91.7%
Asia
5.2%
Europe
2.9%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
2.5%
With a Disability
11.8%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
90.2%
Uninsured
9.8%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
89.0%
Has a Computer
92.3%
Same House 1 Year Ago
92.9%
Moved from Abroad
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023