Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Eureka earns a D−, 769th among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of safety and incomes. Its police reported 206 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 96% of U.S. towns. The median household income is $58K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it has 10 miles of trail and 29% conserved land. 49% of working residents work locally in Eureka, above both California’s towns (6.6%) and U.S. towns (8%). Eureka is more walkable than 97% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Eureka Historic District and E. Janssen Building.
Where Eureka beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Its 19 National Register listings are more than in 95% of California towns with a listing.
Census counts: 612 in 1860, 26,512 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 4 maps from 1922 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Eureka is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Eureka, 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 Eureka.
Eureka draws workers from Arcata and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
Reported crimes fell from 1,205 to 758 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Eureka is 8.2 per 1,000 residents. Eureka reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 96% report less. The property crime rate in Eureka is 21.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Eureka | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 21.9 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Eureka City Schools. Two of its 14 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 426 | B− |
| Eureka Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,162 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
17,683 jobs are based in Eureka, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 15.8 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Eureka’s average trip to work is 16 minutes. Since 2013, Eureka has added 1,738 jobs, to 17,683 in 2023. The top destinations are Arcata (13%), Myrtletown (3%) and McKinleyville (3%).
| Eureka | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 95% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Eureka.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical value, about $400K, is 15% below its July 2022 peak. At about $400K, home values are down 8% in five years, against a rise of 13% across California.
The typical Eureka home is worth about $400,000, down 2.2% in a year, 47% below the California typical home. 48% of households own their home in Eureka.
| Eureka | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,195 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
10 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. Fay Slough Wildlife Area, at 348 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sequoia Park | 1.9 mi | 52 |
| 2. Fay Slough Wildlife Area | 1.1 mi | 348 |
| 3. Eureka Marsh | 0.8 mi | 69 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
January nights average 42.2°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 63.2°.
Of the 846 California towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Eureka. Eureka has warm winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Eureka | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 63°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 42°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 8,215 U.S. towns with household incomes like Eureka’s, it is healthier than 61%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
26% of Eureka adults have been diagnosed with depression. Eureka beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 33% of Eureka adults have obesity.
| Eureka | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 72% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Eureka | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.6% | 10.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 8% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median household earns $57,662, against $99,122 across California, one input to its C− for jobs and income.
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the California average. Eureka has lost 4.7% of its people since 2020, down to 25,304 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| Eureka | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 16% | 18% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 39.0, men 39.1.
| Eureka | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.8% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.4% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.5% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.8% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.7% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.1% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.3% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.4% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Eureka. Close and well known come first.
22 mi National ParkRedwood National Park1.2M visitors a yearin town Zoo & aquariumSequoia Park Zoo
35 mi State parkHumboldt Redwoods State Park
in town MuseumClarke Historical Museum
5 mi MuseumArcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary
2 mi MuseumHumboldt Bay Maritime MuseumRedwood National Park: Michael Schweppe, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Humboldt Redwoods State Park: Jason Sturner, CC BY 2.0 · Clarke Historical Museum: NoeHill, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary: Monotropa_uniflora (talk) (Uploads), Public domain · Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Eureka
About 4 of every 100 Eureka residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Eureka’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
19 places in Eureka on the National Register of Historic Places.
34 notable people were born in Eureka.
City in the United States
Eureka ( yuurr-EE-kə; Wiyot: Jaroujiji; Hupa: dahwilahłding; Karok: Uuth) is a city in and the county seat of Humboldt County, located on the North Coast of California. The city is located on U.S. Route 101 on the shores of Humboldt Bay, 270 miles (435 km) north of San Francisco and 100 miles (161 km) south of the Oregon border. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was 26,512 and the population of the greater Eureka area was 48,119. Eureka is the largest coastal city between San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, and the westernmost city of more than 25,000 residents in the 48 contiguous states. The proximity to the sea causes the city to have a maritime climate with very small annua…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Eureka.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka | #769 | D− | D | D− | B− | C+ |
| Bayview | #784 | D− | D | — | C+ | C− |
| Indianola | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cutten | #128 | B | D | — | A− | A− |
| Pine Hills | #665 | D | D− | — | B+ | C− |
| Myrtletown | #660 | D | D | — | C+ | B− |
Bayview, Cutten, Pine Hills and Myrtletown report no FBI crime data of their own. Indianola isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Eureka with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Eureka grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #769 of 841 in California. It grades C+ for health, D− for safety and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. That is 6.5 years of the area's median household income ($61,160 across the Eureka-Arcata, CA area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
34 notable people were born here, including Sara Bareilles and Mike Patton.
