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Big Sur, CA

This is a small community in a single neighborhood. As throughout the site, some neighborhood-level data are reserved for subscribers.





Overview


Big Sur is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of California. With a population of 1,449 people and just one neighborhood, Big Sur is the 703rd largest community in California.

Big Sur home prices are not only among the most expensive in California, but Big Sur real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Occupations and Workforce

Big Sur is a decidedly white-collar town, with fully 92.86% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Big Sur is a town of service providers, professionals, and managers. There are especially a lot of people living in Big Sur who work in food service (16.96%), management occupations (11.96%), and maintenance occupations (11.12%).

Of important note, Big Sur is also a town of artists. Big Sur has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Big Sur’s character.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 18.63% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Setting & Lifestyle

The overall crime rate in Big Sur is one of the lowest in the US. This makes it one of the safer places to live in the country in terms of crime.

Big Sur is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

Demographics

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Big Sur. 54.65% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Big Sur in 2018 was $47,240, which is upper middle income relative to California, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $188,960 for a family of four. However, Big Sur contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Big Sur is an extremely ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Big Sur home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Big Sur residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Big Sur also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 36.59% of the town’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Big Sur include Irish, German, European, English, and French.

In addition, Big Sur has a lot of people living here who were born outside of the US (26.08%).

The most common language spoken in Big Sur is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and French.

Notable & Unique Neighborhood Characteristics

The way a neighborhood looks and feels when you walk or drive around it, from its setting, its buildings, and its flavor, can make all the difference. This neighborhood has some really cool things about the way it looks and feels as revealed by NeighborhoodScout's exclusive research. This might include anything from the housing stock to the types of households living here to how people get around.

Real Estate

Uncrowded roads, rural America and space to be the individual you are. If you like these characteristics, this neighborhood may fit you. With just 6 residents per square mile, is less crowded than 98.0% of all U.S. neighborhoods. is a neighborhood that is on the ocean, a bay, or inlet. Many times, such places have amenities that bring locals and visitors to the waterfront for recreational activities or to check out the scenery. In some densely populated areas that are less financially well-off, the neighborhood waterfront can be relatively industrial and less open to recreation. In addition to being coastal, is a very nautical neighborhood, meaning that it is somewhat historic, walkable, densely populated and on the water. This gives the neighborhood a very nautical feel, with some seaside and shipping feel, which some may really enjoy the sights and sounds of.

People

In a nation where 1 out of every 4 children lives in poverty, the neighborhood stands out as being ranked among the lowest 0.0% of neighborhoods affected by this global issue.

In addition, if you are planning to retire in California, this neighborhood should be on your must-see list. For many reasons, may be considered a retiree's dream neighborhood. According to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis and metrics, it's peaceful and quiet, has above average safety from crime compared to other neighborhoods in California, while also offering a diverse range of housing options. This, along with the vibrant mix of very educated seniors and other age groups who choose to live here, makes the neighborhood more retiree-friendly than 99.3% of neighborhoods in CA. If a California retirement is in your future, this neighborhood should be one of the places you visit.

Modes of Transportation

In the neighborhood, walking to work is a real option for many. In fact, NeighborhoodScout's exclusive research reveals walking to and from work is the chosen way to commute for 23.3% of residents here. This is a higher proportion of walking commuters than we found in 98.6% of American neighborhoods. Get ready to put on your walking shoes if you move here!

Occupations

There are more people living in the neighborhood employed as sales and service workers (57.3%) than almost any neighborhood in the country. From fast-food service workers to major sales accounts, sales and service workers make up the largest proportion of our national employment picture. But despite that size and importance nationally, this neighborhood still stands out as unique due to the dominance of people living here who work in such occupations.

Diversity

Did you know that the neighborhood has more Ukrainian ancestry people living in it than nearly any neighborhood in America? It's true! In fact, 1.6% of this neighborhood's residents have Ukrainian ancestry.

The Neighbors

How wealthy a neighborhood is, from very wealthy, to middle income, to low income is very formative with regard to the personality and character of a neighborhood. Equally important is the rate of people, particularly children, who live below the federal poverty line. In some wealthy gated communities, the areas immediately surrounding can have high rates of childhood poverty, which indicates other social issues. NeighborhoodScout's analysis reveals both aspects of income and poverty for this neighborhood.

The neighbors in the neighborhood in Big Sur are upper-middle income, making it an above average income neighborhood. NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis reveals that this neighborhood has a higher income than 73.0% of the neighborhoods in America. In addition, 0.0% of the children seventeen and under living in this neighborhood are living below the federal poverty line, which is a lower rate of childhood poverty than is found in 100.0% of America's neighborhoods.

A neighborhood is far different if it is dominated by enlisted military personnel rather than people who earn their living by farming. It is also different if most of the neighbors are clerical support or managers. What is wonderful is the sheer diversity of neighborhoods, allowing you to find the type that fits your lifestyle and aspirations.

In the neighborhood, 42.7% of the working population is employed in sales and service jobs, from major sales accounts, to working in fast food restaurants. The second most important occupational group in this neighborhood is executive, management, and professional occupations, with 38.0% of the residents employed. Other residents here are employed in clerical, assistant, and tech support occupations (12.1%), and 7.1% in manufacturing and laborer occupations.

Languages

The most common language spoken in the neighborhood is English, spoken by 64.1% of households. Some people also speak Spanish (34.7%).

Ethnicity / Ancestry

Culture is the shared learned behavior of peoples. Undeniably, different ethnicities and ancestries have different cultural traditions, and as a result, neighborhoods with concentrations of residents of one or another ethnicities or ancestries will express those cultures. It is what makes the North End in Boston so fun to visit for the Italian restaurants, bakeries, culture, and charm, and similarly, why people enjoy visiting Chinatown in San Francisco.

In the neighborhood in Big Sur, CA, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as Mexican (35.3%). There are also a number of people of Irish ancestry (8.1%), and residents who report German roots (6.7%), and some of the residents are also of English ancestry (5.0%), along with some French ancestry residents (3.4%), among others. In addition, 26.1% of the residents of this neighborhood were born in another country.

Getting to Work

How you get to work – car, bus, train or other means – and how much of your day it takes to do so is a large quality of life and financial issue. Especially with gasoline prices rising and expected to continue doing so, the length and means of one's commute can be a financial burden. Some neighborhoods are physically located so that many residents have to drive in their own car, others are set up so many walk to work, or can take a train, bus, or bike. The greatest number of commuters in neighborhood spend under 15 minutes commuting one-way to work (46.8% of working residents), one of the shortest commutes across America.

Here most residents (42.4%) drive alone in a private automobile to get to work. In addition, quite a number also hop out the door and walk to work to get to work (23.3%) and 13.9% of residents also carpool with coworkers, friends, or neighbors for their daily commute. In a neighborhood like this, as in most of the nation, many residents find owning a car useful for getting to work.


Real Estate includes:
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Rental Market
Housing Market Details
Neighborhood Setting
Economics & Demographics include:
Lifestyle & Special Character
Household Types
Commute To Work
Migration & Mobility
Race & Ethnic Diversity
Employment Industries & Occupations
Income & Unemployment Rate
Higher Education Attainment
Crime includes:
Neighborhood Crime Index
Crimes Per Square Mile
Property Crime Comparison
Violent Crime Comparison
Schools include:
School Ratings
Schools In District
Public School Test Scores
School District Enrollment
Educational Expenditures

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