Photo: Ellin Beltz · Public domainMeasured against area pay, Garberville costs more to live in than 95% of U.S. towns
Down 9.2% in a year, 60% below the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Eureka-Arcata, CA micro area ($61K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Eureka-area micro earn ($61K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 6.3 years of area income, and 68% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $302Ktypical home, 60% below the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,650a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 6.3 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$61K, Eureka-area income
- 25%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 68%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across California: 55%Census 2020–24
- 41%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Garberville
What’s behind Garberville’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Garberville is more affordable than 5% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Values have lagged California: the typical Garberville home is down 47.2% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Down 47.2% in five years
Slower than California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Garberville | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $490,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $531,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $542,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $555,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $552,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $593,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $519,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $437,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $377,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $327,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $302,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Garberville home worth $466K in October 2016 is worth about $302K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 6.3 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Garberville’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $55K short of a typical Garberville home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,650 a month here, $90 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Garberville’s typical property tax (0.64% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,650
Renters already here pay a median of $1,293, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Humboldt County, CA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the California norm
The median bill is $2,481 (California: $5,124), 0.64% of a home’s value a year, against 0.70% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Garberville and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garberville | D | $302K | $387K | 0.64% | $1,650 |
Questions about the cost of living in Garberville
Is Garberville expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Garberville costs more than 95% of U.S. towns: a D for cost of living. The typical home costs 6.3 years of the median household income of the Eureka-Arcata, CA micro area ($61K).
How much does a house cost in Garberville?
About $302K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 9.2% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Garberville?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $75,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,740 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $66,000.
How much is rent in Garberville?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,650 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,293 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Garberville?
The median bill is $2,481 a year, 0.64% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Garberville going up?
No: down 9.2% in the past year and -47.2% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Garberville buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.