State
County
Land Area
9.4 sq mi
Density
2,007.0/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.99%
Growth Since 2010
9.11%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
134,186
Arcata is a city located in California. With a 2020 population of 18,801, it is the 309th largest city in California and the 1951st largest city in the United States. Arcata is currently growing at a rate of 0.99% annually and its population has increased by 9.11% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 17,231 in 2010. Arcata reached it's highest population of 18,801 in 2021. Spanning over 11 miles, Arcata has a population density of 2,007 people per square mile.
The average household income in Arcata is $55,405 with a poverty rate of 38.05%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,023 per month, and the median house value is $341,000. The median age in Arcata is 26.4 years, 27.3 years for males, and 25.3 years for females. For every 100 females there are 101.3 males.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Arcata was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
| Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 134,186 | -686 | -0.51% |
| 2020 | 134,872 | -686 | -0.51% |
| 2019 | 135,558 | -686 | -0.51% |
| 2018 | 136,244 | -263 | -0.19% |
| 2017 | 136,507 | 217 | 0.16% |
| 2016 | 136,290 | 1,188 | 0.87% |
| 2015 | 135,102 | 608 | 0.45% |
| 2014 | 134,494 | 91 | 0.07% |
| 2013 | 134,403 | -169 | -0.13% |
| 2012 | 134,572 | -671 | -0.50% |
| 2011 | 135,243 | 234 | 0.17% |
| 2010 | 135,009 | 0.00% |
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 13,625 | 74.95% |
| Two or More Races | 1,393 | 7.66% |
| Some Other Race | 1,333 | 7.33% |
| Asian | 741 | 4.08% |
| Black or African American | 477 | 2.62% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 393 | 2.16% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 216 | 1.19% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 7,155 | 2.28 | 36.2 |
| Non Family | 4,681 | 1.92 | 23.7 |
| Married | 1,690 | 3.01 | 74.4 |
| Female | 459 | 3.15 | 29.2 |
| Male | 325 | 2.5 | 26.8 |
2.81
Average Family Size
2.28
Average Household Size
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 230 | 2.39% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 524 | 5.45% |
| High School Graduate | 1,320 | 13.72% |
| Some College | 1,996 | 20.75% |
| Associates Degree | 872 | 9.07% |
| Bachelors Degree | 2,915 | 30.30% |
| Graduate Degree | 1,762 | 18.32% |
| Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 7,427 | 7,124 | 3,749 |
| Hispanic | 896 | 723 | 380 |
| Multiple Races | 602 | 587 | 328 |
| Other Race | 411 | 253 | 159 |
| Asian | 336 | 251 | 203 |
| Native American | 213 | 213 | 37 |
| Black | 177 | 109 | 52 |
| Islander | 110 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 60.42%.
81.93% of Arcata residents speak only English, while 18.07% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 11.32% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 11,735 | 3,910 | 33.32% |
| Hispanic | 2,270 | 1,219 | 53.70% |
| Other | 1,119 | 704 | 62.91% |
| Asian | 664 | 397 | 59.79% |
| Multiple | 1,191 | 361 | 30.31% |
| Islander | 216 | 216 | 100.00% |
| Black | 338 | 170 | 50.30% |
| Native | 341 | 154 | 45.16% |
38.05%
Overall Poverty Rate
38.50%
Male Poverty Rate
37.59%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Arcata is Islander, with 100.00% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Arcata is Multiple, with 30.31% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 6.98%. Among those working part-time, it was 51.77%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 49.53%.
21.3%
Overall Marriage Rate
21.4%
Male Marriage Rate
21.2%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 561 | 4.48% |
| 2 or More | 88 | 8.21% |
| Hispanic | 47 | 1.75% |
6.78%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.82%
Veteran Disability Rate
64.2%
Labor Force Participation
56.6%
Employment Rate
11.7%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
94.04%
Native Born
5.96%
Foreign Born
2.62%
Non Citizen
3.34%
Naturalized
94.04% of Arcata residents were born in the United States, with 70.37% having been born in California. 2.62% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
| Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18,801 | 185 | 0.99% |
| 2020 | 18,616 | 185 | 1.00% |
| 2019 | 18,431 | 185 | 1.01% |
| 2018 | 18,246 | 98 | 0.54% |
| 2017 | 18,148 | 48 | 0.27% |
| 2016 | 18,100 | 155 | 0.86% |
| 2015 | 17,945 | 76 | 0.43% |
| 2014 | 17,869 | 9 | 0.05% |
| 2013 | 17,860 | -15 | -0.08% |
| 2012 | 17,875 | -37 | -0.21% |
| 2011 | 17,912 | 231 | 1.31% |
| 2010 | 17,681 | 1,030 | 0.60% |
| 2000 | 16,651 | 1,454 | 0.92% |
| 1990 | 15,197 | 2,347 | 1.69% |
| 1980 | 12,850 | 3,865 | 3.64% |
| 1970 | 8,985 | 3,750 | 5.55% |
| 1960 | 5,235 | 1,506 | 3.45% |
| 1950 | 3,729 | 1,874 | 7.23% |
| 1940 | 1,855 | 146 | 0.82% |
| 1930 | 1,709 | 223 | 1.41% |
| 1920 | 1,486 | 365 | 2.86% |
| 1910 | 1,121 | 169 | 1.65% |
| 1900 | 952 | -10 | -0.10% |
| 1890 | 962 | 260 | 3.20% |
| 1880 | 702 | 0.00% |