Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The typical home is worth about $861K, 8.9 years of the Salinas metro’s $97K median household income. Overall it grades C−, ranked 497th of 841 in California. It is more walkable than 93% of U.S. towns and 17% of its land is conserved. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Marina’s July high is 67°F, below both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Marina has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Peter J. Bontadelli House and Fort Ord Station Veterinary Hospital.
Where Marina beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
19,718 counted in 2010 and 22,359 in 2020; an estimated 23,256 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Marina is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 93% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 2%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,310 in 1960, 22,359 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1971 and 5 maps from 1913 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Marina. Close and well known come first.
8 mi Zoo & aquariumMonterey Bay Aquarium
8 mi MuseumMonterey Museum of Art
12 mi Scenic drive17-Mile Drive
32 mi National ParkPinnacles National Park343K visitors a year8 mi Canyon & gorgeMonterey Canyon
23 mi Theme parkSanta Cruz Beach BoardwalkMonterey Bay Aquarium: Meij.kobayashi, Public domain · Monterey Museum of Art: Sgerbic, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 17-Mile Drive: Humanoid one, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pinnacles National Park: Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Josta Photo, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marina, and how to reach them.
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 Marina.
Marina has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall beyond ordinary swings.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Monterey Peninsula Unified school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Marina High, with 721 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. C. Crumpton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 562 | – |
| Marina HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 721 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Marina for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Marina has added 752 jobs, to 3,798 in 2023. Marina’s average trip to work is 24 minutes.
| Marina | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 440 to 367 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Marina is 3.4 per 1,000 residents. Within California, it does better than 57% of towns.
| Marina | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.4 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Marina tracks California closely on all 32 CDC measures. 20% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Marina.
| Marina | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 72% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 29% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 14% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3.6 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, at 554 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Marina City Park | 0.5 mi | 9 |
| 2. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary | — | 554 |
| 3. Marina Dunes Natural Preserve | — | 120 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Monterey Wfo weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 42.1°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 66.8°.
Marina has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
43% of Marina households own their home. The typical Marina home is worth about $861,000, about the same as a year ago, 13% above the California typical home.
| Marina | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 43% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $2,101 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 49% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the California average. Marina has grown 4% since 2020, to 23,256 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 38% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| Marina | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 36.9 years | 39.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 16% | 18% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 37.4, men 36.3.
| Marina | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.8% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.4% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.6% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.6% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.9% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.1% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.6% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.4% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.3% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
5 within 15 miles of the center of Marina
About 14 of every 100 Marina residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Marina’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Marina on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in California, United States
Marina is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,359, up from 19,718 in 2010. The city is located along the central coast of California, 8 miles (13 km) west of Salinas and 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Monterey. It is on California State Route 1 between Monterey and Santa Cruz and sits at an elevation of 43 feet (13 m). Marina was incorporated in 1975 and is the newest city in the Monterey area. It includes part of the California State University, Monterey Bay campus, the UC Santa Cruz UC MBEST center, and the Veterans Transition Center (VTC). In 2012, Marina was named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People by America's P…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Marina.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Marina grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #497 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health, C for safety and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 57% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
