Census-designated place · Humboldt County, California

Willow Creek, California

Willow Creek is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California, part of the Eureka-Arcata, CA metro area. It has 1,076 residents. Willow Creek, California has a quality-of-life score of 29 out of 100 (low), ranking #11,088 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #619 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on income inequality (Gini index) (low), public EV charging ports (high) and mental health providers (high). It ranks worst on drug overdose deaths (high), home price to income ratio (high) and mental health care shortage (high).

29Low

Quality-of-life score: #11,088 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #619 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 1,076 (2020-2024)
Land area: 30 mi²
Density: 35.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 0685642

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety15#13,213/15,637
Economy25#11,792/15,631
Housing4#14,408/14,977
Health19#12,591/15,609
Healthcare62#5,905/15,650
Environment92#1,210/15,453
Education13#13,656/15,649
Infrastructure48#8,177/15,650
Community30#11,005/15,651
Leisure & amenities87#1,950/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Willow Creek, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Humboldt County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.299
99/100California 0.489United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Public EV charging ports · high21.7 /10k
97/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyHumboldt County value
Mental health providers · high690 /100k
96/100California 487 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHumboldt County value
Comfortable days · high36.7%
96/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationHumboldt County value
Grocery stores · high3.0 /10k
94/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHumboldt County value
Job growth · high2.8%
93/100California 0.9%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataHumboldt County value

Weaknesses

Drug overdose deaths · high47.0 /100k
2/100California 20.1 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataHumboldt County value
Home price to income ratio · high8.3×
3/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Mental health care shortage · high19.0
4/100California 5.0United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationHumboldt County value
Suicide rate · high29.1 /100k
4/100California 9.9 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataHumboldt County value
Distance to an airport · high128 mi
4/100California 22 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauHumboldt County value
Mammography screening · low33.0%
4/100California 38.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHumboldt County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
1,513 (2015-2019) → 1,076 (2020-2024)
−29%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
45.0% (2015-2019) → 75.1% (2020-2024)
+30 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
28.7% (2015-2019) → 45.0% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
4.6× (2015-2019) → 8.3× (2020-2024)
+80%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
13.9% (2015-2019) → 4.3% (2020-2024)
−9.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
23.9% (2015-2019) → 33.0% (2020-2024)
+9.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Willow Creek, California improved on 1 of 9 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 6 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Inequality−0.1040.403 → 0.299

Declined2

Rent / income+16 points28.7% → 45.0%
High school+−6.1 points95.8% → 89.7%

All 9 measures

Change of every measure of Willow Creek, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.9%2015-2019	33.0%2020-2024	+9.1 points	Within the margin of error	87%
Broadband subscriptions	85.7%2015-2019	88.9%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Child poverty rate	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	42%
High school diploma or higher	95.8%2015-2019	89.7%2020-2024	−6.1 points	Declined	4%
Home price to income ratio	4.6×2015-2019	8.3×2020-2024	+3.7×	Within the margin of error	1%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4032015-2019	0.2992020-2024	−0.104	Improved	96%
Median household income	$65,4332015-2019	$47,1372020-2024	−28%	Within the margin of error	0%
Rent as share of income	28.7%2015-2019	45.0%2020-2024	+16 points	Declined	4%
Rent-burdened households	45.0%2015-2019	75.1%2020-2024	+30 points	Within the margin of error	3%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Willow Creek, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Willow Creek, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Willow Creek, California itself moved −23.5 points in standing on average over the same 8 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,076 residents (±339)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 men (−12.2 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,076 residents (±339)

Willow Creek, California
California share

White78%†837
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino5.9%†64

Education

993 residents (±263)

Willow Creek, California
California share

No high school diploma10%†102
High school or GED31%†306
Some college21%

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

615 households (±158)

Willow Creek, California
California share

Under $25k14%†86
$25k–50k37%†226
$50k–75k20%†120
$75k–100k12%†75
$100k–150k18%†108
$150k–200k0.0%0
$200k or more0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

615 households (±158)

Willow Creek, California
California share

Own62%†381
Rent38%†234

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

217 households (±113)

Willow Creek, California
California share

Under $75014%†30
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,50011%†24

Home values

381 homes (±133)

Willow Creek, California
California share

Under $150k0.0%0
$150k–250k2.9%†11
$250k–400k49%†188

Age of homes

1,028 homes (±181)

Willow Creek, California
California share

2010 or later7.3%†75
2000–20097.3%†75
1980–199928%†

Size of homes

1,028 homes (±181)

Willow Creek, California
California share

Studio9.0%†93
1 bedroom15%†153
2 bedrooms53%†546

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

456 workers (±195)

Willow Creek, California
California share

Drive alone53%†240
Carpool0.0%0
Public transit0.0%0
Walk24%†108
Bike0.0%0
Work from home24%†108
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Walk (+23.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

348 workers (±158)

Willow Creek, California
California share

Under 15 min75%†260
15–29 min22%†78
30–44 min0.0%0

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Eureka-Arcata, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Humboldt County, the county holding most of Willow Creek's residents.

Humboldt County has 3,178 employer establishments, 237 for every 10,000 residents (0.96× the US rate of 248; 0.90× California's), with 34,729 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,984. The Census Bureau also counts 10,789 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,178; 10,789 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 237; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 34,729
Average annual pay: $49,984; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Humboldt County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	281	21	1.14×About typical	3,749	$23,936	39
Ambulatory health care services	220	16.4	0.79×Fewer than typical	2,341	$71,706	564
Construction of buildings	167	12.5	1.65×More than typical	884	$62,178	601
Specialty trade contractors	162	12.1	0.78×Fewer than typical	1,092	$70,118	647
Lessors of real estate	152	11.3	0.92×About typical	443	$46,350	893
Full-service restaurants	145	10.8	1.41×More than typical	1,863	$25,598	15
Limited-service restaurants	93	6.9	0.87×About typical	1,440	$21,181	15
Automotive repair and maintenance	84	6.3	1.25×About typical	428	$53,136	123
Building equipment contractors	74	5.5	0.92×About typical	349	$67,645	93
Offices of other health practitioners	73	5.4	0.90×About typical	404	$44,564	388
Management, scientific and technical consulting	64	4.8	0.71×Fewer than typical	237	$71,734	332
Individual and family services	63	4.7	1.68×More than typical	1,224	$37,319	93

Rank places for an industry Open Humboldt County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 133,956 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $42.7K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Willow Creek, California: $39.67 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $42.7K; −11% vs FY2025
Per resident: $39.67; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 14%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Forest Service$36.8K86%
Federal Acquisition Service$5,91314%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

345KFY2017
4.1KFY2018
3.7KFY2019
44.1KFY2020
16.5KFY2021
71.3KFY2022
524KFY2023
272KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$32.9K77%
Automotive equipment rental and leasing · 5321$5,91314%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$2,5165.9%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$1,3343.1%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Willow Creek, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Willow Creek, California's figures are part of those of Humboldt County, CA ($25.6M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.2% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Willow Creek is mostly in Humboldt County.

See federal money in Humboldt County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Willow Creek, California is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Jared HuffmanD-CA-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 2.5%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Humboldt County52100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Eureka-Arcata, CA58

Other cities and towns in Humboldt County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0685642

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends