Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The town, settled in 1929, counts 316 residents.
2.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Benbow, below both the California town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Benbow Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places. Benbow has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1930 and 4 maps from 1921 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Benbow is unincorporated, so Humboldt County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Benbow.
FEMA puts three fifths of Benbow’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 22% to earthquakes. The town’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 98 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median commute is under 22 miles. Benbow: 3.5% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Garberville (20%), Redway (13%) and Eureka (7%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Benbow, 38% of adults have high blood pressure. Among 848 California towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Benbow. Just over a fifth of adults in Benbow report frequent mental distress; 18% report frequent physical distress.
| Benbow | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 19% |
| What stands out | Benbow | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.1% | 10.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.2% | 5.1% |
| More smokers | 20.1% | 10.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.1 miles of trail. In Benbow, the trail density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Benbow | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Benbow; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Benbow residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Benbow’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Place in California, United States
Benbow is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California, United States, located beside the South Fork Eel River. It is 2 miles (3.2 km) south-southeast of Garberville, at an elevation of 440 feet (134 m). Its population is 422 as of the 2020 census, up from 321 from the 2010 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Benbow as a census-designated place (CDP).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Benbow has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.