Carmel is a somewhat small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of California. With a population of 11,208 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.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 25.15% 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.

In addition, Carmel is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are people who are both educated and wealthy, and thus tend to be older, richer, and more established than young professionals. "Urban sophisticates" is not just about being educated and well-off financially: it is a point of view and state of mind, one that you might call 'urbaneness'. But such people can and do regularly live in small towns, suburbs and rural areas, as well as in big cities. They read, support the arts and high-end shops, and love travel.

Carmel is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the 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 like to read, write and learn? If you move to Carmel, you'll likely find that many of your neighbors like to as well. Carmel is one of the more educated communities in America, with a full 63.50% of its adults having a college degree or even advanced degree, compared to a national average across all communities of 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.