Gabilan Range, 2014
Chualar’s story
155 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,444 in 2000, 1,185 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 4 maps from 1910 on.
- 1871Chualar is settled
ChualarCA
Home to 812 people, the town was settled in 1871.
Population
812
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$732K
−0.1% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
35.1
years
Jobs based here
86
A commuter town
Settled
1871
155 years ago
Is Chualar a good place to live?
Chualar’s July high is 76°F, against 89°F in California’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. 73% of the land in Chualar is conserved, above both the California town median (4.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Chualar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
812 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Chualar.
Outdoors
Chualar has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
73.4%conserved
1.6 miles of trail. Chualar’s density of trails is 2.7 miles per square mile.
73.4%
conserved · 293 of 400 acres
1.6 mi
of trails · 2.7 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Schools
The schools Chualar’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Chualar Union school district. 234 students attend the town’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chualar ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 234 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Chualar faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by drought
89risk score of 100
Chualar’s risk rating from FEMA comes in at 89 of 100. FEMA puts 54% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 27% to earthquakes. Federal aid has come to Chualar households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2023.
FEMA risk score
DroughtEarthquakesInland flooding
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Chualar stands out in California and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
1%work in town
Half of commuters travel less than 15 miles. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Chualar dropped by 120, to 86. In Chualar, the typical household income is $59,000. The top destinations are Salinas (23%), Gonzales (9%) and San Jose (7%).
| Chualar | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Chualar1%
Salinas23%
Gonzales9%
San Jose7%
Soledad6%
15 mi
median commute distance
86
jobs based in Chualar
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers: that is Chualar’s year
79°summer high
Chualar’s January low stands at 40°F.
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–63°
Spring45–69°
Summer52–76°
Fall47–74°
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
79°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Chualar is
Two figures for adults in Chualar: 33% worry about having enough food, 67% had a checkup this year. This California town beats the California average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 26% of Chualar adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
| Chualar | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 22% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 9% | 8.1% |
32 measures vs. California
2 better16 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Chualar | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.7% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 16.7% | 20.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 26.2% | 10.6% |
Salinas Valley Health Medical Center
9.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Chualar are worth about $732K, by Zillow’s estimate
$732KZillow home value
The share of households in Chualar who are owner-occupiers: 31%. In Chualar, the median rent is $1,253 a month.
| Chualar | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 31% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,253 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Chualar$732K
California$762K
−0.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chualar
17pages on Chualar
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 60 attractions →Pinnacles National Park and 21 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chualar. Close and well known come first.
15 mi National ParkPinnacles National Park343K visitors a year
22 mi Zoo & aquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
19 mi MuseumMission San Juan Bautista
25 mi Scenic drive17-Mile Drive23 mi Canyon & gorgeMonterey Canyon
11 mi MuseumNational Steinbeck CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Pinnacles National Park: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Monterey Bay Aquarium: Meij.kobayashi, Public domain · Mission San Juan Bautista: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0 · 17-Mile Drive: Humanoid one, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Steinbeck Center: LordHarris at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Chualar: who provides what
Chualar is unincorporated, so Monterey County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCal Am Water Company - ChualarNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMonterey CountyMonterey County provides services here
SchoolsGonzales Unified School District (9-12)Chualar Union Elementary School District2 districts serve Chualar; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMonterey County ElectionsMonterey County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP codes93925, 9390893925 94% · 93908 6%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Chualar for work
Where Chualar’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
86jobs based in Chualar
1%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Chualar
About 7 of every 100 Chualar residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
About Chualar
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Chualar (Spanish for "Pigweed grove") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California, United States. Chualar is located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of 115 feet (35 m). The population was 1,185 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 115 ft
- ZIP code
- 93925
Questions about Chualar
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chualar, CA a good place to live?
Chualar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Chualar is in here
Say something about Chualar.
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