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Arcata city, CA

ZIP 95521 — Housing & Real Estate

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates. Page data updated 2026-08-02.

Working ClassLow Snow Area

Home values, rent, tenure, and housing stock

Housing & Real Estate in ZIP Code 95521

Median Home Value
$478,600
Median Rent
$1,154
Affordability Snapshot
$132,000
Est. income to buy

Household income needed for a median home under a 20% down / 6.8% illustrative mortgage model (~$3,074/mo PITI).

25%
Rent-to-Income Ratio

Below the 30% threshold — generally affordable for median earners.

8.8x
Home Price-to-Income Ratio

Well above the 3-5x guideline — challenging for first-time buyers.

34.6 yrs
Price-to-Rent Ratio

Years to break even buying vs renting at median home value and rent.

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 95521 in Arcata city, CA, a household would need roughly $132,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $3,074. That is about 143% above the local median household income ($54,324), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

Housing Tenure

Diverse housing tenure.

Heating Fuel
Housing Metrics
Owner Occupied
36.7%-44% vs US avg
x
Vacancy Rate
9.6%-7% vs US avg
x
Broadband Access
92.7%+7% vs US avg
x
4+ Bedrooms
3.3%-78% vs US avg
x
Built Pre-1939
6.4%-50% vs US avg
x
Built Post-2014
0.8%-89% vs US avg
x
Rent Burden >30%
35.3%-29% vs US avg
x
Mortgage-Free
45.5%+19% vs US avg
x
$478,600
Home Value
$1,154
Rent
1975
Year Built
2017
Moved In

Residents have lived here since ~2017 on average

Housing Structure

Census ACS structure types (single-family, multi-unit, etc.).

  • 1-unit detached51.1%
  • 1-unit attached6.0%
  • 2-9 units23.6%
  • 10+ units13.6%
  • Mobile home & other5.8%

Housing & Real Estate key statistics

Housing statistics
Housing
Median home value$478,600
Median rent$1,154
Owner-occupied36.7%
Vacant9.6%
Price-to-income8.8x
Est. income to buy$132,000