95540 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
95540
95501
Opportunity
35 · Bottom 14%
vs36 · Bottom 14%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs41 · Bottom 36%
Climate
70 · Top 50%
vs70 · Top 50%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
62 · Bottom 25%
vs43 · Bottom 7%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 20%
vs34 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | 95540 | 95501 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,469 | 22,890 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $63,695 | $54,137 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,239 | $32,302 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 425/sq mi | 3,119/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $389,500 | $412,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,178 | $1,198 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.4% | 41.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.2% | -2.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.2% | 32.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.4% | 20.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 36 | 90 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 3.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 100.0% | -38.8% | 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 | 141 mi | 127 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.5 min | 17.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.1 | 39.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.72 | 19.69 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 71.1% | 59.3% | 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
95540
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
95501
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 95540 — Fortuna, CA · 95501 — Eureka, CA · How this is calculated: methodology