Carmel is a medium-sized coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of California. With a population of 11,060 people and four associated neighborhoods, Carmel is the 400th largest community in California.

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

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

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 25.15% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. 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.

In addition, Carmel is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates", which are people who are not only wealthy and employed in professional occupations, but highly educated to boot. Urban sophisticates have urbane tastes - whether they reside in a big or small city, a suburb, or a little town. Urban sophisticates support bookstores, quality clothing stores, enjoy luxury travel, and in big cities, they are truly the patrons of the arts, attending and supporting institutions such as opera, symphony, ballet, and theatre.

Because of many things, Carmel is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Carmel a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Carmel has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Carmel’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

One of the nice things about Carmel is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

As is often the case in a small town, Carmel doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Carmel. 63.50% 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 Carmel in 2022 was $92,198, which is wealthy relative to California and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $368,792 for a family of four.

Carmel is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Carmel home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Carmel residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Carmel also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 10.66% of the town’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Carmel include English, German, Irish, Italian, and European.

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