Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,144, settled in 1878. 3.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical California town.
Trash & recyclingThe best of Blue Lake’s subject grades are an A+ for walkability and civic life; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Blue Lake’s July high is 76°F, where California’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Only 69 of California’s 1,063 towns score higher on walkability. Homes are expensive, about $433K for a typical one and 7.1 times the Eureka area’s $61K median household income. Blue Lake’s trail density is 5.7 miles per square mile, above both the California town median (1.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 11 of California’s 463 towns score higher on civic life. Blue Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Blue Lake beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Blue Lake is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 507 in 1910, 1,208 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and 4 maps from 1922 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blue Lake, and how to reach them.
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 Blue Lake.
Blue Lake’s median age is 61 years. Blue Lake has lost 5.8% of its people since 2020, down to 1,144 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 39% of Blue Lake adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Blue Lake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 61 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 29% | 29% |
62% women, 38% men
About 62 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7.6 points). Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 55 to 64, 85% are women (CA 51%).
| Blue Lake | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 1.2% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.6% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.1% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.9% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 28.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.7% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.9% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 16.8% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.9% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.6% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 35% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.7% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Its public schools are run by the Blue Lake Union Elementary school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake Union ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 153 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Blue Lake since 1995.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
54% of households own their home in Blue Lake. The typical Blue Lake home is worth about $433,000, down 3.6% in a year, 43% below the California typical home. The median rent in Blue Lake is $1,284 a month.
| Blue Lake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,284 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Blue Lake for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Blue Lake grew to 196 in 2023, 59 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Eureka (25%), Arcata (22%) and McKinleyville (7%).
| Blue Lake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Blue Lake beats the California average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
| Blue Lake | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 36% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 24% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Blue Lake | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.4% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Blue Lake has mild winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 76° and January nights drop to 40°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Perigot Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Blue Lake. Close and well known come first.
14 mi National ParkRedwood National Park1.2M visitors a year11 mi Zoo & aquariumSequoia Park Zoo
39 mi State parkHumboldt Redwoods State Park
36 mi State parkPrairie Creek Redwoods State Park
5 mi MuseumArcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary
11 mi MuseumClarke Historical MuseumRedwood National Park: Michael Schweppe, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Humboldt Redwoods State Park: Jason Sturner, CC BY 2.0 · Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park: California Department of Parks and Recreation, Public domain · Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary: Monotropa_uniflora (talk) (Uploads), Public domain · Clarke Historical Museum: NoeHill, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Blue Lake
About 9 of every 100 Blue Lake residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Where Blue Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in California, United States
Blue Lake (formerly Scottsville) is a city in Humboldt County, California, United States. Blue Lake is located on the Mad River in a deep valley, 16 miles (26 km) northeast of Eureka, at an elevation of 131 feet (40 m). Its population is 1,208 as of the 2020 census, down from 1,253 from the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
3.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical California town.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
