Scotia, California, 1912, the home of the Pacific Lumber Co, 1912
Scotia’s story
138 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1912.
- 1888Scotia is settled
ScotiaCA
A town of 405, settled in 1888.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Barabas · CC BY 3.0
Population
405
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$342K
Census ACS
Household income
$51K
median
Median age
32.0
years
Jobs based here
540
A job hub
Is Scotia a good place to live?
Scotia’s July high is 74°F, against 89°F in California’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. Scotia’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile, below both California’s towns (1.0) and U.S. towns (0.4). Scotia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Scotia stand out
Where Scotia beats most towns.
Small town
405 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Rio DellScotia
Getting set up
Moving to Scotia: who provides what
Scotia is unincorporated, so Humboldt County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterScotia Csd water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHumboldt CountyHumboldt County provides services here
SchoolsFortuna Union High School DistrictScotia Union Elementary School District2 districts serve Scotia; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHumboldt County Office of ElectionsHumboldt County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9556595565 100%Census 2020
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 Scotia.
Work & commute
With 2.5 jobs for every working resident, Scotia draws in 523 commuters
Most working residents leave Scotia for work: only 8% work in town. The median household income in Scotia is $51,000. Jobs based in Scotia grew to 540 in 2023, 423 more than in 2013.
8%work in town
| Scotia | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Scotia8%
Eureka19%
Fortuna15%
Rio Dell5%
Arcata3%
22 mi
median commute distance
540
jobs based in Scotia
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Scotia’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Scotia Union Elementary school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanwood A. Murphy ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 187 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
The FEMA risk score in Scotia is higher than in the typical California or U.S. town
Scotia’s FEMA risk score is 100 of 100.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
More children than California overall
Children under 18 are 30% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (39% statewide). 45% of Scotia adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
32median age · CA 37.9
| Scotia | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 30% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 32 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 29% | 29% |
ScotiaCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school21%
Some college30%
Associate’s2%
Bachelor’s28%
Graduate17%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 45% and 76% women
The Census survey reached too few of Scotia’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±15.8 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Scotia | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.5% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.8% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.8% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 23% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 1.7% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6.9% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.9% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.4% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 30.4% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 1.6% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.1% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers in Scotia
Scotia has warm winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 74°, January nights drop to 41° and snow is almost unheard of.
76°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–54°
Spring45–62°
Summer53–73°
Fall47–67°
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
76°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Scotia stands out in California and nationally: a larger share of its adults report frequent mental distress
24% of adults report frequent mental distress in Scotia. Scotia beats the California average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Scotia.
| Scotia | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 11% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 22% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 72% | 79% |
32 measures vs. California
0 better14 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Scotia | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 20.2% | 10.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 5.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 12.7% | 7.3% |
Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital
7.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.4%conserved
2.4%
conserved · 13 of 540 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fireman's Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
$312Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in April
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 9 attractions →Humboldt Redwoods State Park and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Scotia. Close and well known come first.
14 mi State parkHumboldt Redwoods State Park21 mi Zoo & aquariumSequoia Park Zoo
26 mi MuseumArcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary
23 mi MuseumClarke Historical Museum
11 mi MuseumFerndale Museum
16 mi GardenHumboldt Botanical GardensSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
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 · Humboldt Botanical Gardens: Jennie Sperling, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Scotia
18pages on Scotia
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Scotia; the nearest are
College of the RedwoodsCommunity college · Public · Eureka15.9 mi$1,198 in-state tuitionCalifornia State Polytechnic University-HumboldtUniversity or college · Public · Arcata27.6 mi$8,250 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Scotia residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A job hub
Every workday, about 523 people come to Scotia for work
Where Scotia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
540jobs based in Scotia
8%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Scotia
4 notable people were born in Scotia.
About Scotia
Census designated place in California, United States
Scotia, formerly known as Forestville until 1888, is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California, United States. It is located on the Eel River along U.S. Route 101, 8.5 miles (13.7 km) southeast of Fortuna and 244 miles (393 km) north of San Francisco. Scotia has a population of 681 (2020 census). Scotia was a company town founded by the Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO) to house workers for the lumber industry. The town was entirely owned by PALCO until 2008, following the corporation's declaration of bankruptcy. While it is home to hundreds of past and present lumber mill employees and their dependents, a process is underway to divide the homes into lots for sale.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 194 ft
- ZIP code
- 95565
- Area code
- 707
Questions about Scotia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Scotia, CA a good place to live?
Scotia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Scotia, CA known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Steven W. Mosher and Randy Niemann.