Scores by category

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

Safety31#639/924
Economy30#651/925
Housing2#904/925
Health45#511/925
Healthcare61#358/923
Environment81#173/917
Education36#589/925
Infrastructure43#527/925
Community21#732/925
Leisure & amenities96#40/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Grocery stores · high5.0 /10k
100/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · high38.6%
99/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high26.9 /10k
99/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low1%
95/100California 9%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high668 /100k
95/100California 487 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · low29.5%
93/100California 30.4%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Home price to income ratio · high7.5×
2/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Severe housing problems · high22.5%
4/100California 25.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · high145 /100k
4/100California 67 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · high39.3 /100k
5/100California 20.1 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high5.9%
6/100California 5.5%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
New homes permitted · low0.3 /1k
6/100California 2.8 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
100% (2021) → 1% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−99 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedWorsening
2.0 /1k (2021) → 0.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−83%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Property crime rateImproving
1,445 /100k (2019) → 700 /100k (2025)
−52%6 yearsUS 2,082 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Voter turnoutWorsening
71.0% (2020) → 60.9% (2024)
−10 pts4 yearsUS 68.5% → 65.2%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
76.7 /100k (2021) → 39.3 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−49%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Child poverty rateImproving
25.4% (2015-2019) → 16.8% (2020-2024)
−8.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

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, Ukiah, CA micropolitan area improved on 13 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 9 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

Libraries+12%0.8 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Child poverty−8.6 points25.4% → 16.8%
Traffic deaths−25%28.9 /100k → 21.7 /100k
Suicides−22%31.7 /100k → 24.7 /100k
Homicides−67%10.9 /100k → 3.6 /100k

Declined4

Violent crime+22%433 /100k → 528 /100k
Pharmacies−19%1.5 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Restaurants−5.2%14.1 /10k → 13.4 /10k
Gyms−9.3%1.8 /10k → 1.6 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Ukiah, CA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.1 /10k2020	5.1 /10k2025	−0.8%	Little change	27%
Average commute time	20.8 min2015-2019	21.5 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	36%
Average weekly wage	$8982020	$1,0662025	+19%	Improved	14%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.4%2015-2019	25.2%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Broadband subscriptions	81.1%2015-2019	89.6%2020-2024	+8.5 points	Improved	46%
Child poverty rate	25.4%2015-2019	16.8%2020-2024	−8.6 points	Improved	92%
Distance to an airport	106 mi2020	106 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	77%
Drug overdose deaths	42.7 /100k2020	39.3 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−8%	Improved	34%
Effective property tax rate	0.65%2015-2019	0.67%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Firearm deaths	15.3 /100k2020	15.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+2.6%	Little change	45%
Grocery stores	4.8 /10k2020	5.0 /10k2025	+3.7%	Little change	65%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.8 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	−9.3%	Declined	26%
High school diploma or higher	86.5%2015-2019	87.3%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Home price to income ratio	7.3×2015-2019	7.5×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	83%
Homicide rate	10.9 /100k2020	3.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−67%	Improved	88%
Income adjusted for local prices	$46,0212019	$62,4152024	+36%	Improved	74%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4702015-2019	0.4812020-2024	+0.011	Within the margin of error	27%
Median household income	$51,4162015-2019	$68,0922020-2024	+32%	Improved	77%
New business applications	7.6 /1k2020	8.7 /1k2025	+15%	Improved	13%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−19%	Declined	23%
Poverty rate	17.8%2015-2019	15.4%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Improved	80%
Public libraries	0.8 /10k2019	0.9 /10k2024	+12%	Improved	92%
Rent as share of income	33.5%2015-2019	32.3%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Rent-burdened households	55.9%2015-2019	54.9%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Restaurants and bars	14.1 /10k2020	13.4 /10k2025	−5.2%	Declined	25%
Suicide rate	31.7 /100k2020	24.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−22%	Improved	88%
Traffic deaths	28.9 /100k2015-2019	21.7 /100k2020-2024	−25%	Improved	92%
Unemployment rate	9.4%2020	5.9%2025	−3.5 points	Improved	65%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.7%2015-2019	9.7%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Violent crime rate	433 /100k2020	528 /100k2025	+22%	Declined	11%

“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 Ukiah, CA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ukiah, 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, Ukiah, CA micropolitan area itself moved +0.5 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

90,244 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

34,842 households (±626)

Ukiah, CA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k19%6,620
$25k–50k18%6,338
$50k–75k17%5,909

Homes

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

Owners and renters

34,842 households (±626)

Ukiah, CA micropolitan area
United States share

Own62%21,500
Rent38%13,342

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

36,548 workers (±1,177)

Ukiah, CA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone71%25,930
Carpool10.0%3,644
Public transit0.2%†62

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 Ukiah, 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.

Ukiah, CA has 2,432 employer establishments, 272 for every 10,000 residents (1.10× the US rate of 248), with 23,356 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,521. The Census Bureau also counts 7,563 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,432; 7,563 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 272; US 248
Paid employees: 23,356
Average annual pay: $52,521; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	204	22.8	1.24×About typical	2,519	$27,475	34
Specialty trade contractors	144	16.1	1.04×About typical	712	$68,645	504
Ambulatory health care services	135	15.1	0.73×Fewer than typical	1,420	$63,460	357
Lessors of real estate	123	13.8	1.12×About typical	414	$43,215	582
Construction of buildings	115	12.9	1.70×More than typical	361	$55,895	370
Full-service restaurants	106	11.9	1.54×More than typical	1,277	$28,578	20
Traveler accommodation	81	9.1	5.02×More than typical	1,009	$32,438	82
Limited-service restaurants	68	7.6	0.95×About typical	954	$24,671	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	66	7.4	1.47×More than typical	310	$48,058	81
Services to buildings and dwellings	58	6.5	0.96×About typical	341	$66,924	666
Grocery and convenience stores	54	6	2.04×More than typical	1,363	$37,608	7
Building equipment contractors	51	5.7	0.95×About typical	264	$64,523	97

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 89,341 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 $6.5M on contracts performed in Ukiah, CA micropolitan area: $73.78 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $6.5M; +46% vs FY2025
Per resident: $73.78; US $1,994
Sole-source: 6.1%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Federal Highway Administration$5.6M86%
Department of the Army$512.8K7.9%
U.S. Coast Guard$123.7K1.9%
Bureau of Land Management$115K1.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs$106.5K1.6%
Indian Health Service$28.7K0.4%
Forest Service$10.2K0.2%
Defense Logistics Agency$2,0680.0%

Top recipients

SEB ENGINEERING INC.$5.6M86%
EVANS WEST, INC.$353.3K5.4%
AMA DIVERSIFIED CONSTRUCTION GROUP$251.6K3.9%
DR REED & ASSOCIATES, INC$170.9K2.6%
DALLAS WOLL INC$107.8K1.7%

Spending by fiscal year

2.8MFY2017
7.3MFY2018
20.9MFY2019
4.6MFY2020
2.5MFY2021
2.1MFY2022
4.5MFY2023
4.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$5.6M86%
Facilities support services · 5612$464.8K7.1%
Water, sewage and other systems · 2213$251K3.9%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$199K3.1%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$177.6K2.7%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629

Largest awards

CA BLM 34003(1) MENDO LAKE ROAD - CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT$5.6M
SEB ENGINEERING INC.· Mendocino County, CA· Construction & real property· May 11, 2026 – May 11, 2026· 6982AF26F00046N
EO14042 CVD - OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF WATER/WASTEWATER TREATMENT$1.4M
AMA DIVERSIFIED CONSTRUCTION GROUP· Mendocino County, CA· Facilities & utilities· Nov 5, 2021 – Nov 6, 2025· W912P722C0002
REFUSE AND RECYCLING COLLECTIONS SERVICES AT LAKE MENDOCINO$769.1K
REDWOOD WASTE SOLUTIONS, INC.· Mendocino County, CA· Facilities & utilities· Jun 8, 2021 – May 14, 2026· W912P721C0009
REPLACE DEISEL FUEL TANK, STATION NOYO RIVER, FT BRAGG, CA.

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 $674.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Ukiah, CA micropolitan area: $7,652 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $674.3M; −18% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,652; US $12,955
Loan face value: $19.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$398.8M59%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$52.8M7.8%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$40.1M5.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$37.6M5.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$31.8M4.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$20.6M3.1%
93.224 · Health Center Program$13.1M1.9%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$11.9M1.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA$62M9.2%
SACRAMENTO, CA
COUNTY OF MENDOCINO SOCIAL SERVICES$14.6M2.2%
UKIAH, CA
MENDOCINO-LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT$8M1.2%
UKIAH, CA
PINOLEVILLE POMO NATION$6.1M0.9%
UKIAH, CA
MENDOCINO COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC INC

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$488.8M72%
Federal Highway Administration$62.2M9.2%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$45.6M6.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$19.6M2.9%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Health Resources and Services Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

625.5MFY2021
702.1MFY2022
677.1MFY2023
673.5MFY2024
822.8MFY2025
674.3MFY2026

County aggregates

80%

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 Ukiah, 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.

Mendocino CountyCentral county4088,122

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

UkiahPrincipal city16,304

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/M46380

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Ukiah, 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 Ukiah, 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

Declined4

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