Carmel-by-the-Sea is a city in Monterey County, California, home to about 3,162 people across 1.1 square miles. Its ZIP code is 93921, and parts of 93923 are in Carmel-by-the-Sea too.
Homes sold for a median of $2,015 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
All in Carmel-by-the-Sea
Part is in Carmel-by-the-Sea, part in Monterey
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Carmel-by-the-Sea. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Carmel-by-the-Sea’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)56 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Monterey Regional Airport (MRY)5 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | San Jose, CA52 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA264 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Carmel-by-the-Sea; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Carmel-by-the-Sea had 3,220 residents in the 2020 census, down 21% since 2000.
It’s the 780th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
Monterey County grew from 19,380 residents in 1900 to 439,035 in 2020.
Monterey County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 71°F in summer, and winter lows average 44°F. About 20.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 0 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Monterey, CA weather station (3 miles away).
116,784 jobs at 9,212 businesses in Monterey County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
17 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 5 |
| Dentists | 1 |
| Mental health providers | 9 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (8 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
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Shares ZIP codes with Monterey.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.