Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety21#732/924
Economy21#734/925
Housing2#905/925
Health32#630/925
Healthcare89#101/923
Environment97#25/917
Education77#217/925
Infrastructure73#250/925
Community59#381/925
Leisure & amenities89#101/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Comfortable days · high36.7%
98/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high21.6 /10k
97/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · high3.0 /10k
96/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high690 /100k
95/100California 487 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Job growth · high2.8%
95/100California 0.9%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Access to exercise opportunities · high88.3%
88/100California 94.3%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Rent as share of income · high37.1%
2/100California 32.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Drug overdose deaths · high47.0 /100k
2/100California 20.1 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high7.3×
2/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Severe housing problems · high24.3%
2/100California 25.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high60.1%
2/100California 55.3%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Mammography screening · low33.0%
4/100California 38.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
86% (2021) → 15% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−71 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
1 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Homicide rateImproving
9.6 /100k (2021) → 4.1 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−57%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
2,528 /100k (2020) → 1,406 /100k (2025)
−44%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Suicide rateWorsening
20.8 /100k (2021) → 29.1 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+40%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$44,797 (2019) → $62,008 (2024)
+38%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204

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, Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area improved on 13 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 7 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Uninsured−3.9 points9.9% → 6.0%
Arts & recreation+33%4.2 /10k → 5.5 /10k
Real income+38%$44,797 → $62,008
Homicides−63%11.0 /100k → 4.1 /100k
Traffic deaths−16%20.0 /100k → 16.8 /100k

Declined8

Overdose deaths+68%27.9 /100k → 47.0 /100k
Suicides+52%19.1 /100k → 29.1 /100k
Firearm deaths+42%14.7 /100k → 20.9 /100k
Transit use−0.8 points1.8% → 1.0%
Price / income+0.8×6.5× → 7.3×

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.2 /10k2020	5.5 /10k2025	+33%	Improved	89%
Average commute time	18.7 min2015-2019	19.0 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	52%
Average weekly wage	$9002020	$1,1062025	+23%	Improved	47%
Bachelor's degree or higher	30.4%2015-2019	33.1%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Improved	48%
Broadband subscriptions	83.5%2015-2019	90.9%2020-2024	+7.4 points	Improved	29%
Child poverty rate	20.8%2015-2019	17.5%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Improved	62%
Distance to an airport	128 mi2020	128 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	27.9 /100k2020	47.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+68%	Declined	6%
Effective property tax rate	0.67%2015-2019	0.62%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Firearm deaths	14.7 /100k2020	20.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+42%	Declined	12%
Grocery stores	3.3 /10k2020	3.0 /10k2025	−8%	Declined	27%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−9.4%	Declined	26%
High school diploma or higher	90.5%2015-2019	91.9%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Home price to income ratio	6.5×2015-2019	7.3×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	21%
Homicide rate	11.0 /100k2020	4.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−63%	Improved	86%
Income adjusted for local prices	$44,7972019	$62,0082024	+38%	Improved	86%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4842015-2019	0.4802020-2024	−0.004	Within the margin of error	67%
Median household income	$48,0412015-2019	$61,1602020-2024	+27%	Improved	52%
New business applications	7.9 /1k2020	8.2 /1k2025	+3.5%	Little change	6%
Pharmacies	2.2 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	35%
Poverty rate	20.1%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Property crime rate	2,528 /100k2020	1,406 /100k2025	−44%	Improved	73%
Public libraries	1.0 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	+2.7%	Little change	79%
Public transit commuters	1.8%2015-2019	1.0%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Declined	22%
Rent as share of income	36.1%2015-2019	37.1%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Rent-burdened households	62.3%2015-2019	60.1%2020-2024	−2.3 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Restaurants and bars	11.3 /10k2020	11.4 /10k2025	+0.8%	Little change	49%
Suicide rate	19.1 /100k2020	29.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+52%	Declined	7%
Traffic deaths	20.0 /100k2015-2019	16.8 /100k2020-2024	−16%	Improved	84%
Unemployment rate	8.7%2020	5.3%2025	−3.4 points	Improved	61%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.9%2015-2019	6.0%2020-2024	−3.9 points	Improved	96%
Violent crime rate	470 /100k2020	374 /100k2025	−20%	Improved	57%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area 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, Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area itself moved −1.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

134,541 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

54,922 households (±632)

Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k20%10,915
$25k–50k22%12,033
$50k–75k18%9,667

Homes

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

Owners and renters

54,922 households (±632)

Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area
United States share

Own57%31,053
Rent43%23,869

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

56,342 workers (±1,565)

Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone68%38,257
Carpool11%6,202
Public transit1.0%†572

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 no occupation wages for Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area.

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.

Eureka-Arcata, CA has 3,178 employer establishments, 237 for every 10,000 residents (0.96× the US rate of 248), 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
Paid employees: 34,729
Average annual pay: $49,984; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Eureka-Arcata, CA 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

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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $25.6M on contracts performed in Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area: $194 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $25.6M; −72% vs FY2025
Per resident: $194; US $1,994
Sole-source: 7.8%; US 30%
Single offer: 64%; 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$15.3M60%
Department of the Army$3.5M14%
Defense Logistics Agency$1.7M6.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs$897.5K3.5%
Treasury Common Services Center$885.1K3.5%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$833.4K3.3%
U.S. Coast Guard$813.7K3.2%
Bureau of Land Management$775.5K3.0%

Top recipients

KOKATAT INC$3.5M14%
WING INFLATABLES INC$2M7.7%
FIRESTORM WILDLAND FIRE SUPPRESSION, INC.$1.6M6.2%
BASELINE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS LLC$1.4M5.5%
JD GENERAL ENGINEERING CORP$999.2K3.9%

Spending by fiscal year

75.5MFY2017
35.8MFY2018
51.4MFY2019
50.3MFY2020
25.3MFY2021
58MFY2022
169.9MFY2023
83.7M

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for forestry · 1153$9.5M37%
Cut and sew apparel manufacturing · 3152$3.5M14%
Special food services · 7223$2.8M11%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$2.3M9.0%
Office furniture (including fixtures) manufacturing · 3372$885.1K3.5%
Ship and boat building · 3366$882.4K3.4%

Largest awards

FUNDING FOR INTERNATIONAL MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CONTRACT FOR OPTION YEAR FOUR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR ACTIVITIES.$71.7M
ALUTIIQ PACIFIC, LLC· Humboldt County, CA· Professional services· Jul 7, 2017 – Jul 20, 2026· SAQMMA17F2216
SRF AUGUST STEWARDSHIP IRSC -12363N23F4172 $10,100.00 TOTAL TIMBER VALUE APPLIED $11,736,600.00 TOTAL APPROPRIATED DOLLARS $11,746,700.00 TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE COR: [name removed] ([email removed]) PERFORMANCE PERIOD FOR AWARDED IT$9.9M
J. W. BAMFORD, INC.· Humboldt County, CA· Facilities & utilities· Jul 3, 2023 – Jan 26, 2026· 12363N23F4172
GFP ENTERPRISES, LLC CASRF000715 E32$4.1M
GFP MOBILE FOOD SERVICES LLC· Humboldt County, CA· Facilities & utilities· Sep 4, 2025 – Oct 10, 2025· 1202SC25M1703

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.1B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area: $8,366 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.1B; −3.8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,366; US $12,955
Loan face value: $24.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$512.9M47%
20.271 · Emergency Relief (ER) Program$75.9M6.9%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$58.9M5.4%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$54M4.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$42M3.8%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$40.7M3.7%
15.022 · Tribal Self-Governance$35M3.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$32.6M3.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA$157.5M14%
SACRAMENTO, CA
THE HOOPA VALLEY TRIBE$28.4M2.6%
HOOPA, CA
NORTHERN HUMBOLDT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT$20.6M1.9%
MCKINLEYVILLE, CA
CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY HUMBOLDT$17.4M1.6%
ARCATA, CA
COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$641.5M58%
Federal Highway Administration$159.9M15%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$68.4M6.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$64.6M5.9%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$38.7M

Assistance by fiscal year

979.6MFY2021
1BFY2022
1.1BFY2023
980.7MFY2024
1.1BFY2025
1.1BFY2026

County aggregates

66%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Eureka-Arcata, CA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Humboldt CountyCentral county52131,647

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in California

Areas based in California, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M21700

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like Eureka-Arcata, CA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Eureka-Arcata, CA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in California

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined8

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought