Arcata, CA

Census Place

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2024 Population
18,607
US Senator
Alex Padilla
Democratic Party
US Senator
Adam Schiff
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
28.1
0.357% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
27.2%
8.05% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$46,713
4.14% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$484,600
3.86% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
9,287
0.183% 1-year decline

About

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.

97.2% of the residents in Arcata, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Arcata, CA are California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt (1,583 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Arcata, CA was $484,600, and the homeownership rate was 36.4%.

Most people in Arcata, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 17.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Arcata, CA was 2 cars per household.

United StatesCaliforniaHumboldt County, CAEureka-Arcata-Fortuna, CAHumboldt County PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

Arcata, CA is home to a population of 18.6k people, from which 97.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.64% of Arcata, CA residents were born outside of the country (864 people).

In 2024, there were 12.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.1k people) in Arcata, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.02k Other (Hispanic) and 940 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.2%
2024 Citizenship
96.8%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.2% of Arcata, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Arcata, CA was 96.8%, 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.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Arcata, CA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    13.1k ± 614
  2. Other (Hispanic)
    1.02k ± 304
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    940 ± 281
16%
Hispanic Population
2.98k people

In 2024, there were 12.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.1k people) in Arcata, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.02k Other (Hispanic) and 940 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

16% of the people in Arcata, CA are hispanic (2.98k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Arcata, CA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    3,862,617 ± 45,816 people
  2. Philippines
    824,246 ± 22,054 people
  3. China
    687,951 ± 20,184 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,862,617 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,246 and China with 687,951.

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Foreign-Born Population

4.64%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
864 people
6.17%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
1.15k people

As of 2024, 4.64% of Arcata, CA residents (864 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Arcata, CA was 6.17%, 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.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    257 ± 113
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    74 ± 51
  3. Korea
    54 ± 58

Arcata, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.47 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Arcata, CA.

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Economy

The economy of Arcata, CA employs 9.29k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Arcata, CA were Educational Services (1,469 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,354 people), and Retail Trade (1,193 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($95,625), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($61,067), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($52,866).

Employment

Occupations

9.29k
2024 Value
± 857
−0.183%
1 Year decline
± 13.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Arcata, CA declined at a rate of −0.183%, from 9.3k employees to 9.29k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Arcata, CA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,083 people), Sales & Related Occupations (810 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (746 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Arcata, CA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

9.29k
2024 Value
± 857
−0.183%
1 Year decline
± 13.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Arcata, CA declined at a rate of −0.183%, from 9.3k employees to 9.29k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Arcata, CA, are Educational Services (1,469 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,354 people), and Retail Trade (1,193 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.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$36,038
Median earning men ± $4,609
$27,127
Median earning women ± $4,678

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($55,966), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($53,415), and Manufacturing ($50,167).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($54,583), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($47,833), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,387).

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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.

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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

Voting results are not available for Arcata, CA. Showing the available data for California.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (58.5%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
    Republican Party
  3. 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.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Alex Padilla
Senator from California3
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 California1
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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Arcata, CA awarded 1,583 degrees. The student population of Arcata, CA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,672 male students and 3,484 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Arcata, CA are White (800 and 50.9%), Hispanic or Latino (470 and 29.9%), Two or More Races (95 and 6.04%), and Unknown (91 and 5.79%).

The largest universities in Arcata, CA by number of degrees awarded are California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt (1,583 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Arcata, CA are General Psychology (183 and 11.6%), Social Work (120 and 7.58%), and General Business Administration & Management (109 and 6.89%).

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 2023 in Arcata, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 98.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 6.89%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 6,156 (43.4% men and 56.6% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 6,156 students enrolled in Arcata, CA, 43.4% men and 56.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,096 records, of which 55.9% were women and 44.1% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Psychology
    153 degrees awarded
  2. Wildlife, Fish, & Wildlands Science
    98 degrees awarded
  3. General Business Administration & Management
    91 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Arcata, CA was General Psychology with 153 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
1,583 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt with 1,583 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 638 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Arcata, CA, which is 0.675 times less than the 945 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 800 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 470 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($5,742) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,171) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,090) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Arcata, CA was $484,600 in 2024, which is 1.46 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $466,600 to $484,600, a 3.86% increase. The homeownership rate in Arcata, CA is 36.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Arcata, CA have an average commute time of 17.8 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.

Housing

Property

$484,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$24,804
$2,873
Median Property Taxes
±$390

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.

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Rent vs Own

36.4%
Homeownership
2024
68.3%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 36.4% of the housing units in Arcata, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 33.9%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$46,713
Median Household Income
± $7,736
7.88k
Number of Households
± 753

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.88k households in Arcata, CA declined from $46,713 from the previous year's value of $48,731.

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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Arcata, CA is from California.
0.495
2023 Wage GINI in California
0.498
2022 Wage GINI in California

In 2023, the income inequality in California was 0.495 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.573% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (58.6%)
  2. Worked At Home (15.4%)
  3. Walked (10.6%)

In 2024, 58.6% of workers in Arcata, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (15.4%) and those who walked to work (10.6%).

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.

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Commute Time

17.8 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Arcata, CA have a shorter commute time (17.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.37% 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.

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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.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

27.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Arcata, CA (4.59k out of 16.9k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. 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.

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Health

96.2% of the population of Arcata, CA has health coverage, with 39.5% on employee plans, 28.9% on Medicaid, 10.1% on Medicare, 16.8% on non-group plans, and 0.962% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 17.8% under 18 years, 42.1% between 18 and 34 years, 25.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

3.84%
Uninsured
39.5%
Employer Coverage
28.9%
Medicaid
10.1%
Medicare
16.8%
Non-Group
0.962%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Arcata, CA declined by 19.8% from 4.79% to 3.84%.

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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