Carmel By The Sea, CA · standard
ZIP Code 93921
Monterey County, California - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,281
- 1,409/sq mi High-density area
- $96,923
- Median income Above-median income area
- $2,000,000+
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 71.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Carmel By The Sea pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 21%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 1%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,409
- people per sq mi
- 53%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 93921 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 93921 covers 2.3 square miles in Carmel By The Sea, Monterey County, California (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,281 residents on file, a density of 1,409 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 93921 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $96,923 (5% below the average California ZIP), while per-capita income is $81,159. The poverty rate is 8.4%, with unemployment at 3.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $2,000,000+ (159% above the average California ZIP) and median rent is $2,753; 53.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 71.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 69.2, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Monterey County, so 93921 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 93921
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Carmel By The Sea, CA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 93921.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
103 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
76 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services 27
Professional, scientific, and technical services
27 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 17
Real estate and rental and leasing
17 establishments
- Finance and insurance 16
Finance and insurance
16 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 93921, Carmel By The Sea, CA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
3,281
Population
2.3
Area (sq mi)
1,409
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 93921?
69.2
Median Age
42.8%
Male
57.2%
Female
14.3%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$96,923
Median Household Income
-5% vs state ZIP avg
$81,159
Per Capita Income
8.4%
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 93921 ranks among California ZIPs
Carmel By The Sea, CA household income vs. every California ZIP code
Median household income among 1,583 reporting California ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$96,923 Top 47% higher than 53% of 1,583 California ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more California ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
3,038housing units
3,038
Total Housing Units
1,336
Occupied Units
1,702
Vacant Units
1.71
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$2,000,000+
Median Home Value
+159% vs state ZIP avg
$2,753
Median Rent
1952
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 304 business establishments in ZIP 93921, employing approximately 2,871 people with a combined annual payroll of $144,196,000.
304
Businesses
2,871
Employees
$144.2M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 103 | 33.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 76 | 25.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 27 | 8.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 17 | 5.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 16 | 5.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 13 | 4.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 12 | 4.0% |
| Construction | 9 | 3.0% |
| Manufacturing | 7 | 2.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 6 | 2.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 6 | 2.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 1.0% |
| Educational services | 3 | 1.0% |
| Industries not classified | 3 | 1.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 93921 vs 93953 →
ZIP 93921 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 93955
Seaside (93955)
33,359 residents
- 93940
Monterey (93940)
31,615 residents
- 93933
Marina (93933)
22,406 residents
- 93950
Pacific Grove (93950)
15,046 residents
- 93923 12,073
Carmel (93923)
12,073 residents
- 93953 4,509
Pebble Beach (93953)
4,509 residents
- 93921 3,281
Carmel By The Sea (93921)
3,281 residents
- 93943 6
Monterey (93943)
6 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 93921 ranks #7 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 93921 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 93953
Pebble Beach (93953)
$142,763 median income
- 93923
Carmel (93923)
$142,474 median income
- 93950
Pacific Grove (93950)
$106,065 median income
- 93940
Monterey (93940)
$106,044 median income
- 93933
Marina (93933)
$99,826 median income
- 93921
Carmel By The Sea (93921)
$96,923 median income
- 93955
Seaside (93955)
$85,282 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 93921 ranks #6 of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 93921, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (3,281 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Monterey County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 93921 in?
ZIP code 93921 (Carmel By The Sea) is located in Monterey County, California. Monterey County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/monterey-ca.
What is the population of ZIP code 93921?
ZIP code 93921 in Carmel By The Sea, CA has a population of 3,281 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 93921?
The median household income in ZIP 93921 is $96,923, which is 27% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 93921?
The median home value in ZIP 93921 is $2,000,000+, which is 619% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 93921?
The largest racial group in ZIP 93921 is White at 83.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 93921?
ZIP code 93921 has 304 business establishments employing approximately 2,871 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 93921?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 93921 are: Retail trade (103), Accommodation and food services (76), Professional, scientific, and technical services (27). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 93921?
In ZIP code 93921, 76.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 71.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 93921?
In ZIP code 93921, approximately 53.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 47.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 93921?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 93921 is 8.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 93921's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 93921 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Carmel By The Sea, CA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.