Moving to Monterey, CA FAQ's

The Monterey Peninsula is a wonderful area you are going to LOVE it.

Monterey is an upscale community with a small town feel. The peninsula is only about a 15 mile radius so everything is close by so you don't have to worry about traffic. 

Where to Live in Montery, CA?

Save your house hunting leave and just move out here early if you can. 

Base housing is really nice! http://monterey.pinnaclefamilyhousing.com/

Each location (La Mesa and Fort Ord) has a Community center with a really nice indoor pool and a workout room.

Fort Ord is next to the Commissary and closer to the big box stores like Target and further from the french bakeries and cute Mom and Pop shops. La Mesa is right next to NPS and closer to Downtown Monterey and the Dennis the Menace park.

House in La Mesa

Monterey and Pacific Grove are nice but the houses are small Victorian or cottage style and most homes do not have garages.


Carmel by the sea was founded as an artist community and looks like a quaint European Village. I would take a house site unseen in Carmel 

Seaside can be hit or miss. One street will be nice but the next block over is kinda sketchy. I wouldn't rent a house there before seeing the neighborhood during the day and at night. However, I am told the Seaside Heights neighborhood is nice.

I would avoid Salinas. The houses are bigger but it is a lot farther from NPS.

How much is rent in Monterey, CA?

The rent in this area ranges $2,000-$2,500 for a 2 bedroom 1 bath to $3,000-$4,000 for a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath house.

What is the weather like in Monterey, CA?

Fog rolling into Carmel Valley before sunset
(it rolls out of the Valley every morning)

There is a weather phenomenon here. Everyday the fog/Marine layer rolls in off the ocean and the area closest to the water gets very gloomy. It can be gray and foggy in one town and clear and sunny 1 mile over in the next town. Our friends often cancel plans with us to go hiking or to the beach because "it isn't nice out" however it is sunny and we have clear blue skies where we live in Pebble Beach. The temperature rarely gets above 70 unless you are in the mountains in Carmel Valley.

How much are Utilities in Monterey, CA?

The good news is that you will not need air conditioning in the summer. I know that is hard to believe coming from the East coast but it is true. In fact most houses out here don't have AC. 

As far as an average, I am trying to gauge that as well. It varies a lot based on your neighborhood. Your Electric and Gas bill are combined here. Your utilities are priced based on a usage scale compared to your neighbors. They take an individual reading of every house and calculate an average for the neighborhood. That average is assigned as the baseline/ "Tier 1". If you use more energy than the Tier 1/ baseline you are charged more.

I took a photo of the pricing explanation included in our utility bill

Helpful Hint: Ask your landlord the average cost of utilities. If you rent an old home (built before 1970) or if the house has gas heat make sure it is properly insulated. It might mean the difference between a $200 utility bill in the winter vs. a $500 utility bill. Running a single space heater in one bedroom will raise your electric bill by $150/month.

My husband and I found a wonderful home in Pebble Beach. We tell everyone that we got VERY lucky with housing. This house was a 3 bedroom that was converted into a 2 bedroom. We have a King size bed and a full sofa and love seat in the 2nd bedroom. The living room is HUGE and we use our dining room as a second living room and my husband has a study on the main floor. Here are some pictures