As of 1999,
Monterey County is the third fastest
growing county in California. The county's
population has increased 35% since 1980
(Table 17), and the Association of
Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG)
projects that it will grow another 37% by
2020 to a population over 536,000 (Table
18). Buildout of city and county general
plans would allow for an increase of 53%,
to about 600,000 people. AMBAG's
population forecast predicts that 83% of
the forecasted growth will be in cities.
The general plans, which typically do not
have a time frame for "buildout" (the
condition expected to occur when general
plans are fully realized and reach their
planned maximum population), show that 75%
of the growth will be in cities. Depending
on whether AMBAG's forecast or the general
plans' estimation is accurate, between 17
to 25% of new growth will occur in the
unincorporated area, rather than in
existing cities where services are
available and can be provided most
efficiently.
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