What it's like to live in King City
King City is a small city in California with air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. King City deals with home prices well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, and crime rates above the national average.
The good
- Clean air
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
How King City compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to King City
Based on King City's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,068
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,360 a year
- 60% of King City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$89,980
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $44,990
- Homes cost 6.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,534/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,534 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $449,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $449,900 · 60% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
7.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Monterey County is 7.9%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Monterey County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 30% above US
427 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 917/100k · King City Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 39°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 68% below US
11% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pinnacles National Park (19 miles away).
Bottom line
King City's strongest point is air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and county unemployment above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,534/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near King City
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