95521 ZIP Code — Arcata, CA

Humboldt County, California

ZIP code 95521 is located in Arcata, California, within Humboldt County. It covers approximately 60.38 square miles and serves a population of 21,712 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 707.

About ZIP code 95521

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $441,900. Renters make up the majority at 63%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $47,764. Poverty affects 32% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 19 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 46% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 95521 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and elevated reliance on food assistance.

21,712

population

60.38

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

95521 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 95521

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 95521. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Arcata	Acceptable
Arcata	Acceptable
Arcata	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

95524 Bayside (1.7 mi) 95501 Eureka (6.6 mi) 95503 Eureka (8.8 mi) 95564 Samoa (9.2 mi) 95525 Blue Lake (11.2 mi) 95550 Korbel (14.4 mi) 95551 Loleta (15.4 mi) 95540 Fortuna (18.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,712
Population density	360 / sq mi
State FIPS	06
County FIPS	023

Geography
Land area	60.38 sq mi
Water area	11.15 sq mi
Latitude	40.8396
Longitude	-124.0384
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	707

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.8%	50.6%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	23.3%	27.7%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	17.1%	26.4%
Over $200k	3.8%	4.5%	13.3%

Demographics & statistics

21,712

Population

360

People per sq mi

28.0

Median age

$47,764

Median household income

$28,907

Per capita income

$441,900

Median home value

$1,251

Median monthly rent

37.1%

Home ownership

31.5%

Poverty rate

12.7%

Unemployment

4,218

Housing units

45.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

333

Under 5

319

347

5–9

331

526

10–14

503

1,167

15–19

1,114

2,406

20–24

2,298

1,934

25–34

1,848

1,177

35–44

1,125

798

45–54

762

365

55–59

349

625

60–64

596

1,036

65–74

989

240

75–84

229

151

85+

144

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,924	13.5%
18 and over	18,788	86.5%
65 and over	2,789	12.8%
Median age	28.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 64.6%

Hispanic or Latino 11.5%

Two or more races 9.8%

Other race 6.6%

Asian 3%

Black or African American 2.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	15,839	64.6%
Hispanic or Latino	2,812	11.5%
Two or more races	2,407	9.8%
Other race	1,617	6.6%
Asian	740	3%
Black or African American	648	2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	317	1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	144	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.8%	50.6%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	23.3%	27.7%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	17.1%	26.4%
Over $200k	3.8%	4.5%	13.3%

Under $10k 9.9%

$10k–$15k 7.1%

$15k–$25k 11.7%

$25k–$35k 11.6%

$35k–$50k 11.5%

$50k–$75k 15.7%

$75k–$100k 10.0%

$100k–$150k 12.6%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k+ 4.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.9%
$10k–$15k	7.1%
$15k–$25k	11.7%
$25k–$35k	11.6%
$35k–$50k	11.5%
$50k–$75k	15.7%
$75k–$100k	10.0%
$100k–$150k	12.6%
$150k–$200k	5.7%
$200k+	4.2%
Median income	$47,764

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.6%

$50k–$100k 6.3%

$100k–$150k 1.0%

$150k–$200k 1.0%

$200k–$300k 9.8%

$300k–$500k 37.4%

$500k–$1M 35.2%

$1M+ 4.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$441,900
Median rent / month	$1,251
Owner occupied	37.1%
Renter occupied	62.9%
Vacant	10.1%
Single-family detached	52.7%
Large apartment buildings	6.8%
Mobile homes	5.4%
Median rooms	4.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.24

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	7.0%
2000–2009	7.6%
1990–1999	10.7%
1980–1989	15.0%
1970–1979	17.1%
1960–1969	11.0%
1950–1959	13.7%
1940–1949	7.8%
1939 or earlier	9.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	7.5%
1 bedroom	17.6%
2 bedrooms	31.5%
3 bedrooms	34.1%
4 bedrooms	6.5%
5+ bedrooms	2.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.4%
1 vehicle	45.1%
2 vehicles	32.3%
3 or more	16.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	60.6%
Electricity	22.8%
Propane / LP gas	5.0%
Fuel oil	0.5%
Wood	5.7%
Solar	2.4%
No fuel used	1.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,052	23.5%
Cohabiting couple	1,293	14.8%
Male householder, no spouse	2,500	28.6%
Female householder, no spouse	2,891	33.1%
Households with children under 18	1,697	19.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,167	24.8%
Average household size	2.30

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	68.1%	57.9%
Married	21.0%	23.1%
Separated	1.4%	1.8%
Widowed	1.8%	5.1%
Divorced	7.6%	12.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.8%

Some HS, no diploma 4.6%

HS graduate 13.1%

Some college, no degree 24.4%

Associate's degree 10.6%

Bachelor's degree 26.9%

Graduate / professional 18.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.6%
Bachelor's or higher	45.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	104	1.2%
Kindergarten	214	2.5%
Elementary school	1,444	16.7%
High school	726	8.4%
College / grad school	6,144	71.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.6%

Retail trade 14.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 14.1%

Professional & management 10.1%

Public administration 6.4%

Construction 6.3%

Other services 6.1%

Manufacturing 4.1%

Transportation & utilities 3.6%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Wholesale trade 1.4%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.8%
Service	21.3%
Sales & office	22.5%
Natural resources & construction	7.6%
Production & transportation	11.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.2%
Government	22.0%
Self-employed	10.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	61.5%
Carpool	8.4%
Public transit	3.0%
Walk	10.7%
Work from home	12.8%
Other means	3.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.6

Poverty

All people 31.5%

Under 18 years 26.6%

18 and over 32.3%

Married-couple families 1.9%

Female-led households 35.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	22.3%
Retirement income	21.2%
Supplemental Security	7.9%
Cash public assistance	2.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.5%
High blood pressure	23.1%
High cholesterol	23.2%
Diabetes	7.2%
Heart disease	4.8%
Stroke	2.4%
Asthma	11.9%
Arthritis	17.8%
Kidney disease	2.4%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	4.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.0%
Binge drinking	21.8%
No physical activity	18.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.0%
Depression	21.9%
Fair or poor health	14.0%
Poor mental health	18.9%
Poor physical health	10.2%
No health insurance	10.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	64.1%
Visited dentist	59.8%
Cholesterol screening	83.9%
Teeth loss	13.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	679	3.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.7%
Under 18	8.2%
18–64 years	13.2%
65 and over	30.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.4%
Public insurance	47.5%
No insurance	4.9%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	21,060	97.0%
Spanish	586	2.8%
Other Indo-European	132	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	243	1.2%
Other languages	211	1.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	20,158	92.8%
Born in same state	19,954	91.9%
Born in different state	14,631	67.4%
Foreign born	204	0.9%
Naturalized citizen	1,554	7.2%
Not a US citizen	859	55.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,454	11.3%
French	1,929	8.9%
English	469	2.2%
Arab	427	2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	372	1.7%
Dutch	218	1%
German	61	0.3%
Irish	31	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.2%
Internet access	96.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 95521

What city is ZIP code 95521 in?

ZIP code 95521 is primarily assigned to Arcata, California.

What county is ZIP code 95521 in?

ZIP code 95521 falls within Humboldt County, California.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 95521?

32% of residents in ZIP code 95521 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 95521 mostly rentals?

63% of occupied units in ZIP code 95521 are renter-occupied.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 95521?

46% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 95521?

The median home value in ZIP code 95521 is $441,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 95521 in?

ZIP code 95521 observes the PST timezone.