Prunedale is a unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, United States. It is located 8 miles north of Salinas at an elevation of 92 feet. The population was 18,885 as of the 2020 census, up from 17,560 in 2010. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Prunedale as a census-designated place. Plum trees were grown in Prunedale in the early days of its founding, but the trees died soon after due to poor irrigation and fertilizer.