Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 12,003, settled in 1888.
Fortuna grades D overall, 674th of 841 graded towns in California, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $62K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. Fortuna’s July high is 70°F, below both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). The typical home is worth about $408K, 6.7 years of the Eureka area’s $61K median household income. Grizzly Bluff School and Gushaw-Mudgett House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Fortuna beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Fortuna is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 383 in 1910, 12,516 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fortuna, 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 Fortuna.
Fortuna has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has home values still below their peak.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 95% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fortuna.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Fortuna Union High, with 826 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norman G. Ambrosini ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 282 | C+ |
| Fortuna Union HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 826 | C− |
| Redwood Preparatory CharterTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 236 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
The typical value, about $408K, is 15% below its July 2022 peak. At about $408K, home values are down 9% in five years, against a rise of 13% across California.
The median rent in Fortuna is $1,168 a month. The typical Fortuna home is worth about $408,000, down 3.5% in a year, 46% below the California typical home. 56% of households own their home in Fortuna.
| Fortuna | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,168 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
About one in 4 of Fortuna’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Eureka (26%), Arcata (6%) and Scotia (3%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
| Fortuna | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 11% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Grizzly Creek Sp weather station, 14 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 264 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 41.8°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 70.3°.
Fortuna has warm winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. Fortuna’s January low is 42°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2.4 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Rohner Park, at 55 acres with 1.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Fortuna | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rohner Park | 1.4 mi | 55 |
| 2. Newburg Park | 0.1 mi | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 9,474 U.S. towns with household incomes like Fortuna’s, it is healthier than 61%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Fortuna beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 20% of Fortuna adults report frequent mental distress.
| Fortuna | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| What stands out | Fortuna | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.8% | 10.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 8% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Within California, it does better than 75% of towns.
| Fortuna | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.3 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fortuna. Close and well known come first.
35 mi National ParkRedwood National Park1.2M visitors a year
21 mi State parkHumboldt Redwoods State Park13 mi Zoo & aquariumSequoia Park Zoo
19 mi MuseumArcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary
15 mi MuseumClarke Historical Museum
6 mi MuseumFerndale MuseumRedwood National Park: Michael Schweppe, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Humboldt Redwoods State Park: Jason Sturner, CC BY 2.0 · Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary: Monotropa_uniflora (talk) (Uploads), Public domain · Clarke Historical Museum: NoeHill, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ferndale Museum: Ellin Beltz, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Fortuna
About 6 of every 100 Fortuna residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
City in California, United States
Fortuna (Spanish for "Fortune"; Wiyot: Vutsuwitk Da'l) is a city on the northeastern bank of the Eel River, approximately 9 miles (14 km) from where it enters the Pacific Ocean, and is on U.S. Route 101 in west-central Humboldt County, California, United States. The population was 12,516 at the 2020 census, up from 11,926 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fortuna grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #674 of 841 in California. It grades C+ for health, B− for safety and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 75% of towns.
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.
2 notable people were born here, including Ryan Villopoto and Sam Reynolds.
