Salinas, CA, California: Democratic loyalist metro. In 2024, voted D+30%. Republican peak: R+50 in 1924.
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- D+30MIT Election Lab
- Political archetype
- Democratic loyalistAkashic typology
- Population
- 437,6132024 5-year
- Median household income
- $97,2302024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 36.2%2024 5-year
- Black
- 2.2%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 61.6%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+46 in 1912MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+50 in 1924MIT Election Lab
Constituent county margins for Salinas, CA, CAOne cell per constituent county, colored by 2024 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), ordered bluest first.
R+60D+60
One cell per constituent county. Ordered by 2024 D-vs-R margin (bluest first). Hover for county-level numbers.
38 presidential elections
| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 93,060 | 49,226 | 146,754 | ||
| D | 113,953 | 46,299 | 163,923 | ||
| D | 89,088 | 34,895 | 133,408 | ||
| D | 82,920 | 37,390 | 123,518 | ||
| D | 88,453 | 38,797 | 129,783 | ||
| D | 75,241 | 47,838 | 124,653 | ||
| D | 67,618 | 43,761 | 117,534 | ||
| D | 57,700 | 39,794 | 108,558 | ||
| D | 54,861 | 36,461 | 116,689 | ||
| R | 48,998 | 50,022 | 100,381 | ||
| R | 40,733 | 55,710 | 97,470 | ||
| R | 29,086 | 47,452 | 86,794 | ||
| R | 36,849 | 40,896 | 80,153 | ||
| R | 32,545 | 47,004 | 82,408 | ||
| R | 28,261 | 33,670 | 67,124 | ||
| D | 40,093 | 24,579 | 64,844 | ||
| R | 25,805 | 33,428 | 59,413 | ||
| R | 19,932 | 29,514 | 49,573 | ||
| R | 17,411 | 28,786 | 46,451 | ||
| R | 15,704 | 17,233 | 34,063 | ||
| D | 14,342 | 12,246 | 26,728 | ||
| D | 14,758 | 11,810 | 26,833 | ||
| D | 12,267 | 7,565 | 20,067 | ||
| D | 8,942 | 6,200 | 15,750 | ||
| R | 4,138 | 7,228 | 11,452 | ||
| R | 886 | 4,744 | 7,768 | ||
| R | 1,771 | 4,817 | 7,109 | ||
| D | 3,878 | 3,599 | 8,032 | ||
| O | 3,392 | 0 | 7,332 | ||
| R | 1,616 | 2,486 | 4,635 | ||
| R | 1,415 | 2,453 | 4,146 | ||
| R | 1,825 | 1,964 | 3,920 | ||
| D | 2,149 | 1,878 | 4,099 | ||
| R | 1,606 | 1,709 | 4,103 | ||
| R | 1,866 | 1,875 | 3,862 | ||
| R | 1,381 | 1,476 | 2,910 | ||
| R | 1,205 | 1,260 | 2,502 | ||
| R | 1,012 | 1,182 | 2,197 |
Demographics
Race, ethnicity, and ancestry
Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.
English
5.7%
German
5.6%
Irish
5.0%
Italian
3.5%
American
1.5%
French
1.2%
Scottish
1.2%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.
Age distribution by sex
Median age: 35.5 in this county, 39.1 nationally
Male
Age
Female
85+
75–84
65–74
55–64
45–54
35–44
25–34
18–24
5–17
<5
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Median household income
2024 inflation-adjusted dollars
$97,230
Salinas, CA ranks near the middle of US counties.
Salinas, CA$97,230
California$99,122
United States$80,734
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Poverty rate
All persons below federal poverty line
12.7%
Children face moderate poverty.
Children under 1817.7%
Working age (18–64)10.8%
Seniors (65+)13.0%
Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.
Language at home
Population aged 5 and older
43.7%
speak English only
Spanish49.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander3.5%
Other Indo-European2.3%
Other languages0.8%
Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.
Religious adherents
Adherents per capita by tradition
Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 40.3% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.
Salinas anchors one of the nation's most productive agricultural valleys, where a majority-Latino workforce has steadily shifted the metro's electorate toward high Democratic margins while local ballot measures on water and housing remain competitive.
The Democratic margin in Salinas, CA reached its widest at forty-six points in 1912. The margin in 2024 was thirty points — still decisive.
Its loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $97,230, a 36% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 437,613 together describe a metro whose political habits are deeply settled.
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Salinas, CA, California — The Long Memory. Akashic Intelligence — The Long Memory. https://tiers.akashic.app/cbsa/41500/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
How did Salinas, CA, California vote in 2024?
In 2024, Salinas, CA, California voted Democratic by 29.9 points (D+30), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 146,754 votes cast, 93,060 went Democratic and 49,226 went Republican.
What is Salinas, CA, California's political archetype?
Akashic classifies Salinas, CA, California as a "Democratic loyalist" metro based on its long-arc presidential voting pattern. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the metro has voted Democratic 16 times, Republican 21 times, and other 1 times.
When did Salinas, CA, California last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which Salinas, CA, California voted Republican was 1988.
How many people live in Salinas, CA, California?
Salinas, CA, California has a population of 437,613 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Salinas, CA, California?
Median household income in Salinas, CA, California is $97,230 — above the national median of $80,734. The California state median is $99,122.
What is the political history of Salinas, CA, California?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Salinas, CA, California from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 16 went Democratic and 21 went Republican. The metro's archetype — "Democratic loyalist" — captures the overall trajectory of that voting record.