About ZIP 93921

ZIP code 93921 serves Carmel By The Sea in Monterey, California. It centers near 36.5552°, -121.9233° and, by population, qualifies as a sparsely populated rural ZIP. Roughly 2,469 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).

The median household earns about $118,472 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $1,966,500, and asking rents on the open market sit around $2,705 per month. Compared to the rest of California, that makes 93921 significantly more expensive than typical for the state. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $58,212 and a median home value of $432,054.

The median resident is around 65.5 years old, and roughly 37.2% of the population holds at least a bachelor's degree. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 0.1% of the total population (the labor-force-only rate is higher, since not every resident is counted as "in the labor force").

Cost of living read

If you're considering a move into 93921, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $1,966,500 and a typical rental runs $2,705 a month. Translate that into your own budget:

At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $10,467 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
Renting the median unit at $2,705/mo costs roughly $32,460 per year, or about 27.4% of the local median household income.
For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap (+$1,534,446 versus the state average of $432,054) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.

Who lives here

The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 65.5 and a population of 2,469, ZIP 93921 reads as an older-skewing area, often retirement-oriented or in a slower-growth region. The roughly 37.2% bachelor's-degree share is on the higher end nationally and tends to correlate with knowledge-economy employment.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 36.5552, -121.9233. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.

93922 Carmel, CA 93923 Carmel, CA 93953 Pebble Beach, CA 93944 Monterey, CA 93942 Monterey, CA 93950 Pacific Grove, CA 93943 Monterey, CA 93940 Monterey, CA

Race & ethnicity (2019–2023 ACS)

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates (table B03002) count 2,459 people in this ZIP Code Tabulation Area — a newer, supplemental release added alongside the core figures above. See the methodology page for why the core figures themselves have not yet been refreshed to this vintage.

Group	Count	% of total
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	64	2.6%
White alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	2,118	86.1%
Black or African American alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	26	1.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	0	0.0%
Asian alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	75	3.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	0	0.0%
Some other race alone (not Hispanic or Latino)	0	0.0%
Two or more races (not Hispanic or Latino)	176	7.2%

Poverty status (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 2,457 residents here for whom the Census Bureau determines poverty status (table B17001), 155 (6.3%) were below the poverty line in the past 12 months.

Commuting (2019–2023 ACS)

Among the 714 workers age 16+ here who did not work from home (table B08303), the Census Bureau's own travel-time brackets break down like this:

Travel time to work	Workers	% of workers
Less than 5 minutes	70	9.8%
5 to 9 minutes	259	36.3%
10 to 14 minutes	79	11.1%
15 to 19 minutes	105	14.7%
20 to 24 minutes	0	0.0%
25 to 29 minutes	0	0.0%
30 to 34 minutes	62	8.7%
35 to 39 minutes	25	3.5%
40 to 44 minutes	114	16.0%
45 to 59 minutes	0	0.0%
60 to 89 minutes	0	0.0%
90 minutes or more	0	0.0%

Housing occupancy (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 2,910 housing units counted here (table B25002), 1,455 (50.0%) were occupied and 1,455 (50.0%) were vacant.

How to use this profile

Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.

If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Carmel By The Sea or browse the rest of California.

ZIP Code 93921 — Carmel By The Sea, CA