Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Castroville grades D overall, 699th among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of health. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 77% of the country. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 75% of U.S. towns. Castroville’s July high is 66°F, below both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Castroville Japanese Language School is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Castroville beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Castroville Japanese Language School6,481 counted in 2010 and 7,515 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Castroville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,865 in 1950, 7,515 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1991 and 5 maps from 1912 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Castroville. Close and well known come first.
13 mi Zoo & aquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
14 mi MuseumMonterey Museum of Art5 mi Canyon & gorgeMonterey Canyon
32 mi National ParkPinnacles National Park343K visitors a year
17 mi Scenic drive17-Mile Drive
13 mi MuseumMission San Juan BautistaMonterey Bay Aquarium: Meij.kobayashi, Public domain · Monterey Museum of Art: Sgerbic, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pinnacles National Park: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 17-Mile Drive: Humanoid one, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mission San Juan Bautista: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0
Castroville is unincorporated, so Monterey County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Castroville.
Castroville has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has more than doubled its jobs in ten years.
Since 1995, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Castroville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the North Monterey County Unified school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Monterey County MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 624 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
34% of Castroville adults say their health is fair or poor. Castroville beats the California average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 36% of Castroville adults worry about having enough food.
| Castroville | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 22% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 66% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Castroville | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.7% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 16.9% | 20.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 27.5% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here grew from 660 in 2013 to 1,795.
Most working residents leave Castroville for work: only 8% work in town. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Castroville. Jobs based in Castroville grew to 1,795 in 2023, 1,135 more than in 2013.
| Castroville | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Monterey Wfo weather station, 13 miles away, records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 42.6°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 66.3°.
Castroville has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. The January low in Castroville is 43°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Castroville home is worth about $677,000, down 0.5% in a year, 11% below the California typical home. Castroville’s median rent is $1,948 a month.
| Castroville | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,948 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Castroville | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. NCRPD | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
5 within 15 miles of the center of Castroville
About 3 of every 100 Castroville residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Castroville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Castroville is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Monterey County, California, United States. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 7,515, up from 6,481 in 2010. Castroville is known for its artichoke crop and for the annual Castroville Artichoke Festival, leading to its nickname as the "Artichoke Center of the World". The community's origins lie in Rancho Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo, a Mexican-era rancho granted to the Castro family of Californio rancheros. Following the American Conquest of California, Juan Bautista Castro founded Castroville in 1863.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Castroville grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #699 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 7 years of the area's median household income ($97,230 across the Salinas, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
2 notable people were born here, including James J. Keating and James W. Silliman.
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