RedwayCA
A town of 1,145, settled in 1953.
Is Redway a good place to live?
The best of Redway’s subject grades is an A+ for walkability; the weakest is a D− for incomes. Redway’s average trip to work is 13 minutes, where California’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 2 of California’s 1,056 towns score lower on incomes. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Only 49 of California’s 1,064 towns score lower on the outdoors. Redway has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Redway stand out
Where Redway beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
1,145 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Redway grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Redway is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Redway: who provides what
Redway 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Redway.
Redway’s typical home value is about $276K
The typical Redway home is worth about $276,000, down 16.7% in a year, 64% below the California typical home. 34% of Redway households own their home, below both the California town median (64%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
On state tests, Redway’s schools trail 76% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Southern Humboldt Joint Unified school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redway ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 272 | – |
| Osprey Learning CenterLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 9 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
More of Redway’s adults smoke cigarettes than in the typical California or U.S. town
24% of adults smoke cigarettes in Redway. Redway beats the California average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 34% of adults get no exercise outside work in Redway.
| Redway | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 22% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Redway | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 12.8% | 5.1% |
| More smokers | 23.6% | 10.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 13.4% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Redway stands out in California and nationally: a larger share of its residents live below the poverty line
37% of Redway residents live below the poverty line. Most working residents leave Redway for work: only 15% work in town. Since 2013, Redway has added 32 jobs, to 392 in 2023.
| Redway | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 37% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Redway faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Redway, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
Redway has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Redway’s July high is 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. John B. Dewitt Redwoods State Natural Reserve | — | 44 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Redway
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Redway; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Redway residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Every workday, about 367 people come to Redway for work
Where Redway’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Redway
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Redway, CA expensive?
Yes. That is 4.5 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 C−.