On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Monte Sereno is more historic than 39% of U.S. towns, #237 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Monte Sereno’s 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 Monte Sereno’s 5.8 sits above most of its state (89% of California towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±11.2 points).
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 Monte Sereno’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Monte Sereno area was part of the 1839 Alta California land grant of Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos. The city incorporated on May 14, 1957, to protect its semi-rural atmosphere. Its first Mayor was Retired Vice Admiral and former Director of Naval Intelligence, Thomas B. Inglis.
John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men in a wooded home at 16250 Greenwood Lane in what is now Monte Sereno.
Beat Generation figure Neal Cassady lived in a Monte Sereno ranch house in the 1950s. Painter Thomas Kinkade lived in Monte Sereno in the later years of his life until his death.
The Monte Sereno post office opened in 1960, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Monte Sereno rank for history?
Monte Sereno is more historic than 39% of U.S. towns, #237 of 847 in California. 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.
What is on the National Register in Monte Sereno?
One place: the John Steinbeck House (listed 1989).
How old are the homes in Monte Sereno?
12% of Monte Sereno’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±11.2 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1965.
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 (5), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, 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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