HomeCaliforniaHumboldt County
Humboldt County, California: commercial real estate data.
Humboldt County, California has a population of 134,541 across 3,568 square miles, down 3.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.59 bn in 2024, 3,178 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 125 7(a) approvals worth $65.9 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Humboldt County
How many people live in Humboldt County
- Population134,541
- Households54,922
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$61,160
- Median age39.9
- Median gross rent$1,287 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$446,900
- Home value to household income7.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree11.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over93,031
- Population under 1825,301
- Share under 1818.8 percent
- Population 65 and over26,660
- Share 65 and over19.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6482,580
- Civilian labor force63,659
- Unemployment rate9.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.3 percent
- Rank by population among California counties35th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents491st
Humboldt County is the 35th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 7.3 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 19.8 percent against 18.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Humboldt County
Is Humboldt County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.99 percent
- Census 2020 base population136,467
- Births, 20241,093
- Deaths, 20241,604
- Natural change, 2024-511
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,315
- Net international migration, 2024205
- Total net migration, 2024-1,110
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,894
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2737th
The county has lost 2.99 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Humboldt County
Where are people moving to Humboldt County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,736
- People arriving, from those returns4,062
- Adjusted gross income arriving$165.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$60,412
- Largest single originHumboldt County Non-migrants (48,467 households)
- Largest single destination (48,467 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt County Non-migrants | 48,467 | 88,946 | $3.52 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 757 | 1,185 | $44.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 377 | 586 | $24.2 m |
| Los Angeles County | 200 | 251 | $9.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 180 | 293 | $8.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 140 | 211 | $8.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 120 | 192 | $5.7 m |
| Sacramento County | 119 | 169 | $7.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Humboldt County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Humboldt County
What is the Humboldt County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$7.59 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.11 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.7 percent
- GDP change over five years30.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among California counties35th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents551st
- GDP per resident$56,418
Output grew 6.7 percent in the latest year and 30.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Humboldt County
Largest employers in Humboldt County
- Covered employment, annual average51,858
- Establishments reporting7,685
- Average annual pay$55,212
- Average weekly wage$1,062
- Sector 62, employment10,998
- Sector 62, average annual pay$50,774
- Sector 44-45, employment6,018
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$41,561
- Sector 72, employment4,722
- Sector 72, average annual pay$27,146
- Sector 23, employment2,602
- Sector 23, average annual pay$78,552
- Sector 31-33, employment2,193
- Sector 81, employment2,175
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 10,998 | 4,088 | $50,774 |
| Sector 44-45 | 6,018 | 512 | $41,561 |
| Sector 72 | 4,722 | 406 | $27,146 |
| Sector 23 | 2,602 | 375 | $78,552 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,193 | 127 | $59,635 |
| Sector 81 | 2,175 | 298 | $43,011 |
| Sector 54 | 1,333 | 289 | $69,005 |
| Sector 56 | 1,208 | 126 | $47,882 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 10,998 jobs, 21.2 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Humboldt County
How many businesses are in Humboldt County?
- Establishments, all industries3,178
- Employment at those establishments34,729
- Annual payroll$1.74 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Humboldt County
Building permits in Humboldt County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024194
- Declared construction value permitted$37.1 m
- Single family units authorised148
- Multifamily units authorised46
- Multifamily share of units23.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$191,394
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.5
Multifamily is 23.7 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Humboldt County
SBA loans in Humboldt County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded125
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$65.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$527,474
- Median 7(a) approval$110,900
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,980,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,257
- Jobs per approval10.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active33
- Distinct industries receiving approvals72
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer23.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms29
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter91
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals2.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (9)
- Most active lenderRedwood Capital Bank (28)
- 504 approvals recorded59
- 504 gross approval dollars$39.2 m
- Average 504 approval$664,729
- Median 504 approval$410,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval7.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.8
- Most active CDCArcata Economic Development Corporation (47)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals67.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$105.2 m
The average approval of $527,474 sits well above the median of $110,900, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 23.2 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Humboldt County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Humboldt County
Do SBA loans in Humboldt County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded23
- Paid in full18
- Charged off5
- Charge off rate on resolved loans21.7 percent
- Status: Paid in full18
- Status: Exempt from disclosure81
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed9
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Charged off5
Of the 23 loans that have reached a final outcome, 21.7 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Humboldt County
SBA lending by place in Humboldt County
- Places in the county with recorded lending16
- EUREKA, approvals49
- ARCATA, approvals21
- FORTUNA, approvals13
- McKinleyville, approvals11
- FERNDALE, approvals8
- BLUE LAKE, approvals5
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| EUREKA | 49 | $27,829,300 |
| ARCATA | 21 | $9,736,900 |
| FORTUNA | 13 | $7,006,700 |
| McKinleyville | 11 | $1,767,000 |
| FERNDALE | 8 | $770,000 |
| BLUE LAKE | 5 | $1,635,000 |
| WHITETHORN | 4 | $3,252,900 |
| Redway | 3 | $573,500 |
EUREKA accounts for 49 approvals against 21 in ARCATA. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Humboldt County
How large is Humboldt County?
- Land area3,568 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties14th of 58
- Width, east to west52.5 mi
- Height, north to south101.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land38
- Establishments per square mile0.89
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Humboldt County
Flood risk in Humboldt County
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate87.5 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Humboldt County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The EPA places Humboldt County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 87.5 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Humboldt County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Humboldt County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population134,541
- Households54,922
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$61,160
- Median age39.9
Common questions
Humboldt County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Humboldt County, California?
134,541, in 54,922 households, ranking 35th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Humboldt County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.99 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,093 births against 1,604 deaths, with net migration of -1,110. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Humboldt County?
$61,160. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $446,900, which is 7.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,287 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Humboldt County?
3,178 establishments, employing 34,729 people with an annual payroll of $1.74 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Humboldt County?
Average annual pay is $55,212, or $1,062 a week, across 51,858 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Humboldt County?
125 7(a) approvals totalling $65.9 m since FY2020, across 33 lenders, with a median approval of $110,900, plus 59 504 approvals worth $39.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Humboldt County get paid back?
Of the 23 loans that have reached a final outcome, 18 were paid in full and 5 charged off, a charge off rate of 21.7 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Humboldt County?
194 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $37.1 m. Multifamily was 23.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Humboldt County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Humboldt County come from?
The largest single origin is Humboldt County Non-migrants, with 48,467 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,412 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Humboldt County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Humboldt County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
Humboldt County
Cities and places in Humboldt.
40 Census places lie wholly or partly in Humboldt County. 40 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka | city | 26,010 | 49 | Wholly in this county |
| Arcata | city | 18,607 | 21 | Wholly in this county |
| McKinleyville | CDP | 17,113 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Fortuna | city | 12,326 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Myrtletown | CDP | 5,322 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Humboldt Hill | CDP | 3,551 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cutten | CDP | 3,550 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rio Dell | city | 3,349 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Pine Hills | CDP | 2,875 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bayview | CDP | 2,803 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hoopa | CDP | 2,233 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ferndale | city | 1,552 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Westhaven-Moonstone | CDP | 1,537 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Garberville | CDP | 1,415 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Hydesville | CDP | 1,263 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Redway | CDP | 1,145 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Willow Creek | CDP | 1,076 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Manila | CDP | 985 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Blue Lake | city | 982 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Fieldbrook | CDP | 736 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Loleta | CDP | 723 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Indianola | CDP | 560 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Shelter Cove | CDP | 543 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fields Landing | CDP | 532 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Miranda | CDP | 513 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Scotia | CDP | 405 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Trinidad | city | 347 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Benbow | CDP | 316 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fairhaven | CDP | 293 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Orick | CDP | 199 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Samoa | CDP | 151 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Big Lagoon | CDP | 138 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Weitchpec | CDP | 104 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Weott | CDP | 81 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alderpoint | CDP | 71 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Myers Flat | CDP | 69 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Redcrest | CDP | 12 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kep'el | CDP | 10 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wautec | CDP | 6 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Phillipsville | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 5 SBA approvals in Humboldt County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Whitethorn, Dinsmore. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.