Arcata, CA

Census Place

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2023 Population

18,578

0.227% 1-year growth

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

2.94% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

29.6%

14.2% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$48,731

12.2% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$466,600

13.2% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

9,304

2.51% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Arcata, CA had a population of 18.6k people with a median age of 28 and a median household income of $48,731. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Arcata, CA grew from 18,536 to 18,578, a 0.227% increase and its median household income grew from $43,444 to $48,731, a 12.2% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Arcata, CA are White (Non-Hispanic) (70.9%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (6.84%), Two+ (Hispanic) (5.88%), Other (Hispanic) (5.52%), and White (Hispanic) (3%).

None of the households in Arcata, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.8% of the residents in Arcata, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Arcata, CA are California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt (1,774 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Arcata, CA was $466,600, and the homeownership rate was 33.9%.

Most people in Arcata, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Arcata, CA was 2 cars per household.

United States California Humboldt County, CA Eureka-Arcata-Fortuna, CA Humboldt County PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

Arcata, CA is home to a population of 18.6k people, from which 96.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 6.17% of Arcata, CA residents were born outside of the country (1.15k people).

In 2023, there were 10.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.2k people) in Arcata, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.27k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 1.09k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.8%

2023 Citizenship

96.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.8% of Arcata, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Arcata, CA was 96.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Arcata, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Arcata, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
13.2k ± 657
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
1.27k ± 349
Two+ (Hispanic)
1.09k ± 316

15.4%

Hispanic Population

2.86k people

15.4% of the people in Arcata, CA are hispanic (2.86k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Arcata, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,899,021 ± 46,015 people
Philippines
824,230 ± 22,055 people
China
685,370 ± 20,148 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,899,021 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,230 and China with 685,370.

Foreign-Born Population

6.17%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.15k people

7.06%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.31k people

As of 2023, 6.17% of Arcata, CA residents (1.15k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Arcata, CA was 7.06%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Arcata, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
253 ± 119
Gulf War (1990s)
68 ± 51
Korea
42 ± 45

Arcata, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.72 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Arcata, CA employs 9.3k people. The largest industries in Arcata, CA are Educational Services (1,303 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,278 people), and Retail Trade (1,263 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($91,290), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($57,942), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($50,220).

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $75,777. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.498, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

9.3k

2023 Value

± 881

−2.51%

1 Year decline

± 13.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Arcata, CA declined at a rate of −2.51%, from 9.54k employees to 9.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Arcata, CA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,061 people), Sales & Related Occupations (859 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (828 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Arcata, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

9.3k

2023 Value

± 881

−2.51%

1 Year decline

± 13.8%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Arcata, CA declined at a rate of −2.51%, from 9.54k employees to 9.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Arcata, CA, are Educational Services (1,303 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,278 people), and Retail Trade (1,263 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Arcata, CA, though some of these residents may live in Arcata, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$33,048

Median earning men ± $4,155

$29,284

Median earning women ± $3,964

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($60,096), Information ($53,222), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($50,660).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($57,798), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($54,375), and Public Administration ($51,912).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Arcata, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from California

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for California have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Arcata, CA awarded 1,774 degrees. The student population of Arcata, CA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 2,504 male students and 3,521 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Arcata, CA are White (861 and 48.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (505 and 28.7%), Unknown (133 and 7.56%), and Two or More Races (112 and 6.36%).

The largest universities in Arcata, CA by number of degrees awarded are California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt (1,774 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Arcata, CA are General Psychology (179 and 10.1%), General Business Administration & Management (135 and 7.61%), and Social Work (112 and 6.31%).

The median tuition cost in Arcata, CA for a public four year colleges is $5,742 for in-state students and $17,622 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Arcata, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 98.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 11.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 6,025 (41.6% men and 58.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 6,025 students enrolled in Arcata, CA, 41.6% men and 58.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,032 records, of which 57.7% were women and 42.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Biological Sciences
97 degrees awarded
General Psychology
143 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
110 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Arcata, CA was General Biological Sciences with 97 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Arcata, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,774 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt with 1,774 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 708 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Arcata, CA, which is 0.664 times less than the 1,066 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 861 degrees mean that there were 1.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 505 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($5,742) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,122) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,070) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Measure

In 2022, 2.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.26% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Some college (6.9M), High School or Equivalent (6.8M), and Bachelors Degree (6.36M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Arcata, CA was $466,600 in 2023, which is 1.54 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $412,100 to $466,600, a 13.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Arcata, CA is 33.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Arcata, CA have an average commute time of 18.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Arcata, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Arcata, CA is $48,731. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Arcata, CA was Census Tract 9 with a value of $84,662, followed by Census Tract 105.02 and Census Tract 13, with respective values of $71,958 and $59,818.

Housing

Property

$466,600

Median Property Value 2023

±$19,202

$2,597

Median Property Taxes

±$341

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Arcata, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Arcata, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

33.9%

Homeownership

2023

69.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 33.9% of the housing units in Arcata, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 33.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Arcata, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9
Census Tract 105.02
Census Tract 13

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Arcata, CA was Census Tract 9 with a value of $84,662, followed by Census Tract 105.02 and Census Tract 13, with respective values of $71,958 and $59,818.

The following map shows all of the places in Arcata, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$48,731

Median Household Income

± $7,666

7.66k

Number of Households

± 716

In 2023, the median household income of the 7.66k households in Arcata, CA grew to $48,731 from the previous year's value of $43,444.

The following chart displays the households in Arcata, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Arcata, CA is from California.

0.498

2022 Wage GINI in California

0.497

2021 Wage GINI in California

In 2022, the income inequality in California was 0.498 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.107% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (59.2%)
Worked At Home (13.4%)
Walked (12.8%)

In 2023, 59.2% of workers in Arcata, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.4%) and those who walked to work (12.8%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

18.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Arcata, CA have a shorter commute time (18.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.8% of the workforce in Arcata, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Arcata, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Arcata, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Arcata, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

29.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Arcata, CA (5.02k out of 17k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Arcata, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

95.2% of the population of Arcata, CA has health coverage, with 35.9% on employee plans, 31.3% on Medicaid, 9.24% on Medicare, 17.9% on non-group plans, and 0.818% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Humboldt County, CA see 1687 patients per year on average, which represents a 5.77% increase from the previous year (1595 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1239 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 180 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Humboldt County, CA.

1,687 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Humboldt County, CA

Primary care physicians in Humboldt County, CA see an average of 1,687 patients per year. This represents a 5.77% increase from the previous year (1,595 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Humboldt County, CA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 17.9% under 18 years, 42.2% between 18 and 34 years, 26.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.79%

Uninsured

35.9%

Employer Coverage

31.3%

Medicaid

9.24%

Medicare

17.9%

Non-Group

0.818%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Arcata, CA declined by 0.9% from 4.83% to 4.79%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Arcata, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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