Most of Del Rey Oaks was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1958. Below: maps from 1913 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Del Rey Oaks is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Del Rey Oaks’ overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Del Rey Oaks’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±1.6 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: the first census (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Del Rey Oaks’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Del Rey Oaks. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1913Monterey sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Del Rey Oaks.
The story so far
Del Rey Oaks, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Del Rey Oaks yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Del Rey Oaks (Del Rey, Spanish for "Of the King") is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located just southeast of Seaside, at an elevation of 82 feet (25 m). The population was 1,592 at the 2020 census. Del Rey Oaks is a member of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, a regional government agency.
Its first post office opened in 1960. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 1,624 in 2010, 1,592 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
The Del Rey Oaks post office opened in 1960, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Del Rey Oaks rank for history?
Del Rey Oaks is more historic than 5% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Del Rey Oaks?
2% of Del Rey Oaks’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.6 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1958.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (3), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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