95540 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
95521
95540
Opportunity
36 · Bottom 14%
vs35 · Bottom 14%
Growth
31 · Bottom 18%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
70 · Top 50%
vs70 · Top 50%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
27 · Bottom 1%
vs62 · Bottom 25%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 18%
vs41 · Bottom 20%
Measured values
| Metric | 95521 | 95540 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,980 | 14,469 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,114 | $63,695 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,368 | $35,239 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 364/sq mi | 425/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $501,000 | $389,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,336 | $1,178 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 40.2% | 56.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.2% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.4% | 26.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.4% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 26 | 36 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 63°F | 63°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 41°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.4" | 40.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 122 mi | 141 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.6 min | 22.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 29.2 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.86 | 19.72 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 50.2% | 71.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
95521
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
95540
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 95521 — Arcata, CA · 95540 — Fortuna, CA · How this is calculated: methodology