Humboldt County, California Income Statistics
Humboldt County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Humboldt County Well below averageLess wealthy than 72% of counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Humboldt County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $61,643 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $53,359 | $67,742 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.7% | 5.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 9.5% | 17.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 7.8% | 20.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Humboldt County is about 38% lower than in California. Income has been growing slower in Humboldt County (4.7%/yr) than in California (5.6%/yr).
About 9% of adults in Humboldt County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the California average of 18%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Humboldt County, California grew by 57.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $61,643 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.7% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Humboldt County
| Metric | Humboldt County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.566 | 0.572 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $60,739 | $75,172 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $51,315 | $66,071 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 15.5% | 12.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Humboldt County, it is 0.566, lower than California's 0.572, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 18% more than women's income in Humboldt County, California. Over a 35-year career, a 18% wage gap accumulates to roughly $329,840 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Humboldt County, California has narrowed from about 21% to 16% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 9% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $323 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Humboldt County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 9.0% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 13.0% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 15 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 5,741 people are unemployed in Humboldt County, California.
The average commute time in Humboldt County is 15 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Humboldt County, California has fallen from 9.7% to 9.0% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 11.3% in 2014 and fell as low as 7.8% in 2019.
Humboldt County, CA Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Humboldt County, CA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 134,541 residents against a local median of 43,469. Humboldt County, CA's income growth, at 4.7%/yr, runs 21% below the 5.9%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 1.1%/yr on income growth, so Humboldt County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Humboldt County, CA has the 6th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt County, CA | 134,541 | $61,643 #3/6 | 4.7%/yr #6/6 | 9.0% #5/6 | 0.566 #4/6 |
| Trinity County, CA | 15,860 | $51,690 | 5.0%/yr | 8.3% | 0.584 |
| Del Norte County, CA | 27,106 | $67,788 | 6.0%/yr | 6.4% | 0.583 |
| Mendocino County, CA | 90,240 | $68,620 | 6.0%/yr | 9.0% | 0.552 |
| Siskiyou County, CA | 43,469 | $59,421 | 5.5%/yr | 7.9% | 0.544 |
| Josephine County, OR | 88,176 | $60,079 | 5.9%/yr | 6.4% | 0.552 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Humboldt County, California has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than California, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Humboldt County, California.
How Rich Is Humboldt County, California?
Humboldt County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $61,643, about 38% lower than the California average of $99,161.
Are incomes growing in Humboldt County, California?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Humboldt County, California rose 57%, from $39,143 to $61,643. Over the same years, income here lagged behind California as a whole: +57% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Humboldt County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Humboldt County, California was $61,555, up 7% from $57,768 in 2022. The California median that year was $96,718.
What was the median household income in Humboldt County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Humboldt County, California was $49,219. By 2024 it had risen 25% to $61,643.
Is it hard to find a job in Humboldt County, California?
Unemployment in Humboldt County, California is 9.0%, well above the California rate of 6.6%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Humboldt County, California?
The Gini coefficient in Humboldt County is 0.566. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Humboldt County, California?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Humboldt County, California has narrowed from about 21% to 16% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 9% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $323 since 2009.
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