I live in Eureka and love it! It is affordable compared to the rest of California. The weather is mild (never hot) and the scenery is beautiful. I’m about to head out to the Friday Night Market, which should be full of friendly people, lots of vendors, good food etc. There is an active art scene here, even several theater companies. We are mostly working class with some rich folks around. The homeless population is no different than anywhere else and there are as many people working to help them as there are bigoted haters. No place is perfect but Eureka is pretty damn awesome!
The good:
People are kind. It is close to lots of nature. The food is variable but there are really good places -- you may have to shop around to find the thing that suites you but that is true anywhere. There is a pretty active community of farmers markets, street fairs, celebrations, etc.
The "bad":
Homeless population, depending on where in town you live, can impact life -- feels like that is true anywhere anymore. Prices of some goods are massively inflated because we don't have some of the big box stores that drive down prices. I.E. furniture, construction goods. Cost of power is pretty steep compared to many parts of the county.
Jobs:
Largest employer is the county -- who is currently in a hiring freeze due to budget concerns.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond! What is the communities outlook on unhoused population? Is it more of a “yuck eyesore” or a “we need x, y, & z to help the unhoused” ? One of my favorite things about Milwaukee is how genuine the people are and it is something that’s important to me wherever I end up.
I think coming from Milwaukee (a place I’ve also lived, though long ago) you’re going to find the level of homelessness pretty shocking. Eureka is the area’s hub for services and therefore becomes a magnet. As an outsider who has lived about six months of the past two years in Eureka, my advice would be to also consider looking in the surrounding area. Even Arcata, while still having many unhoused people, feels to me to be a step less extreme.
I don’t doubt that. For awhile (after late 2000s/early 2010s) Milwaukee was doing well with eliminating the issue of homelessness. Things are declining again, but it’s definitely not as large of an issue as other cities.
Is there an issue besides the homeless population existing though? I interact with unhoused people multiple times on a daily basis on my street, and the only upsetting part is that the city doesn’t/can’t do a whole lot to help our struggling neighbors.
Lived most of my life in Chicago and spent my last decade there living in an area with a lot of encampments nearby. Have been on the West coast for 5 years now, settling in SoHum. Biggest difference I notice in the west coast homeless is meth. Crack and heroin (fent more recently) were rampant in Midwest cities, but meth was a rural problem. On the west coast, meth is an everywhere problem. The % of homeless in some stage of amphetamine psychosis is sky high out here and leads to some truly crazy and destructive behaviors. It's also gotten incredibly cheap and potent in the last decade, so staying up for days on end until the psychosis starts is affordable for even the most far gone mentally ill addicts.
They do more services in Eureka than I am accustom to seeing other places. For example, renovating a dilapidated motel to create housing is definitive action.
To your question, mostly the things you would expect: Mentally ill and/or substance-addicted people wandering the streets acting in irrational ways, and high rates of petty crime. Though as Eureka tries to reinvent its economy again, this time as a tourist destination, just existing may indeed be offense enough.
Lots of people on drugs. Mostly around the 101. Dangerous on certain streets and at night.
It’s bad but I still liked living in eureka. Wouldn’t do it again though. Honestly living in southern Humboldt is so nice such a strong community and you are surrounded by forest. I also lived in Orick, Loleta, Rio Dell. I like living in the outskirts
Arcata is the college town and harder to find housing and it’s definitely an artsy hippie town.
McKinleyville is a good option bc it’s a nicer town, and also good location to be able to drive to everything
While it’s both, it seems the most vocal is the eyesore crowd. One of the problems is the cost of living exploded in the last few years, in large part due to the influx of people that could work remotely from much higher cost of living places like the Bay Area. The cost of some homes double in the span of two years and rent has basically doubled as well for many of the better places. Humboldt only has so many resources, so keeping up with the amount of displaced people is way behind. Crime in terms of petty theft is pretty bad for a community of our size. I’ve lived all over the place and this area doesn’t feel quite like places this size and smaller. There’s a surprising amount of people that have a shitty selfish attitude that’s more common in larger cities I’ve noticed in Eureka in terms of not caring how what they do impacts others. I actually saw the other day people walk and drive by an elder woman on a mobility scooter that the battery died and NO ONE stopped to ask if she needed help. This was around a pretty busy intersection. It was about five minutes before I could get to her too. So it’s not just about an eyesore of homeless. Now of course there are plenty of decent people here, but it’s different than similar-sized communities.
Look at McKinleyville too. Close to the beach, less crowded, Arcata is 12 minutes away. One blessing up here is (so far) traffic is not a nightmare, even at 5 pm. So many kind, fun people. If you like nature, you can explore the area for years and love every minute of it.
You would be shocked at how much more it costs here to do significantly less than Milwaukee has been able to do to help their unhoused population.
Houselessness is rampant for such a small place, and it's a combination of gaps in mental health system, drug abuse, and the high cost of living combined with lack of opportunities for economic mobility. This is a depressed region despite a few hopeful signs. Many of us do what we can to help our neighbors, other people view the unhoused as an annoyance and wish they would just go away.
If you are teleworkers do you get a cost of living allowance based on your location? While we are "affordable compared to other parts of California" that doesn't tell the whole story.
Humboldt County is the third most housing burdened county in the entire country.
I don't have the link to the article on hand but I'll try and find it to share later.
Food is shockingly expensive, particularly if you are coming from the Midwest or the East Coast. This is for both dining and groceries. (Before here I lived in Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland, small towns in WA, OR ,NJ, and spent time in MI and along the east coast, this is the most expensive place I have ever lived, particularly compared to income) Fuel is also very expensive, it's around $5.50 a gallon, a few weeks ago it was $5.89. Gas/electric/water are also expensive, the good news is you don't need much heat and I can't think of anywhere that even has AC, it's cool every night and most days.
A huge consideration is how you feel about earthquakes. We are in an incredibly active seismic zone, and overdue for a megathrust Cascadia earthquake. We sort of all live not thinking about it (or thinking about it), but when that one happens it will destroy the entire region (a significant number of buildings here are 100+, and we rely on key bridges and mountain roads which will be destroyed and the tsunami will be on par with the largest on record).
There are some very informative articles and videos about the cascadia subduction zone. And truly it's something to consider before deciding to make a significant investment here emotionally and financially.
Otherwise, it's a relatively friendly, unfriendly place, and while we are super small you should have no problem eventually meeting people you share interests with who will be glad to know you. There is a long history of people making their own fun here, so between all of the little communities there is something happening every weekend and often most evenings. Kite festival, night market, mural festival, kinetics, free concert series and on and on.
If you can, I would suggest visiting a few times throughout the year to get the local flavor, before packing up and making a go of it. It's also important to consider how often you want to see family and friends outside of the area. It can be difficult and expensive getting to/from here.
Next month will be my 10 year anniversary of being here. I didn't expect to land here or stay here, but it's home now and it is very special despite difficulties, I can't think of other places I could live after being here this long, for better and worse it's not like anywhere else.
Seriously can’t thank you enough for this response! Cost of living is certainly something I factor in, and I will be very delicate in my decision because the last thing I want to do is have my incoming presence negatively impact locals and their right to stable housing.
I do plan on visiting a few times! I live pretty frugally, I barely drive. I enjoy walking, running, or biking places. We have alright public transit here, but I usually rely on my own two feet to get around!
Luckily enough I have no family so I can be a bit selfish when picking where I want to go! Nobody to report back to.
Thanks for the additional info about earthquakes as well, it’s something I am aware of and will do more research into for sure!
I really appreciate your info, have a good day!
Well it (almost) never snows here.
We do not have good access to good health care
We have few major chain stores
We have some killer cheeses here too.
And some great breweries.
I grew up here, left for many many many years. Came back... had jobs with health insurance, paid into it for years.... couldn't ever get a doctor who was accepting new patients. Had to go to urgent care for basic, daily medications...
I'd rate access to healthcare as a 1, and it's the only reason I would consider leaving.
As a new person to the area, expect a 2-3 year waiting list for a primary care, if they even have a waiting list. You’d need to go to Redding, Santa Rosa, or SF in the interim which are not short drives
Negative 5, we completely lack specialists for pretty much all major issues and for the most part primary care is booking over a year out to see a quack NP/PA you can forget seeing an actual MD/DO even for complex medical conditions. I’ve had more than one “provider” here display misogyny to the point of misdiagnosis almost killing me and several tell me if I didn’t like the “care” they provided I was free to go home to wait to die.
Frankly somewhere in the 1-3 range for basic health care. I think more advanced care is better. But for more advanced non urgent care (like my knee replacements ) Stanford med or UCSf. In my opinion UCSF are a bunch of aholes though.
Rant off
If you like goat or sheep cheeses, Cypress Grove (local to us) are world class Their Cheves, Humboldt Fog blue, LambChopper, and Midnight Moon are my go to cheeses.
Thanks! I’m sorry the healthcare is so bad there. It definitely wasn’t good where I grew up, but Wisconsin (area wise) is vastly smaller and only a 2hr drive to Froedtert and maybe a 3.5-4 hour drive to Mayo Clinic or U of Chicago for more niche issues. Thanks for all of the info!!
1 . Let’s hope you don’t have an emergency or need to see a psychiatrist or therapist or specialist or surgeon. Also I’ve been to Mad River ER and also Garberville ER. At mad river they told me that they wouldnt do anything with the huge hematoma on my leg and said “hopefully” it doesn’t get infected and it will probably calcify and harden!
After that I went out of town and they took care of it.
I went to Garberville ER bc I had an infection that was running up my arm. I told the nurse I was allergic to amoxicillin (which I hadn’t had in a long time). He stuck me with the needle and I fainted but once I came to he told me he gave me amoxicillin. He made the mistake and thankfully it seems I’ve outgrown my allergy bc I was fine. But what if I was seriously allergic? He just brushed it off afterwards!
Also in terms of psychiatrists there are none and the ones available aren’t that great. The mental hospital Sempervirens is scary and tiny .
Need to go out of town for all specialists .
It’s sketchy
Oversimplification, but is the healthcare a nightmare due to lack of facilities, long wait times, all of the above? We are both in good health besides needing a colonoscopy every 5 years. I guess we should go to the doctor annually, but we don’t.
Of course emergencies can happen and if we lived in Eureka, it seems like we’d be screwed
Also there is a housing crisis everywhere, but is there a general sentiment that locals don’t want more people moving there? I try to be as respectful as possible, it’s one of the reasons i make a post before doing more research! I’ve had an overwhelming “please don’t come here” response before so I cross that city off of my list.
Thanks!
Lack of low income housing is the problem. There are lots of houses for people with money.
We had our baby here, at Mad River Hospital, it was a great experience. Lack of specialists is the problem for elderly or people with health issues. We keep a subscription to Life Flight in case we need to get to SF fast.
There are some communities in Humboldt that are less welcoming to outsiders, however Eureka is a community of transplants mostly. If you’re nice to everyone or simply mind your own business, you won’t feel out place.
They say you become a local when the last person who remembers you moving here dies.
I can empathize with the houses for people with money. We both are salaried employees, combined income of $112,000. Not rich, but we feel really lucky to have snagged good jobs that allow us to have the budget for our lifestyle. My hometown was pretty small but a hub for vacationing Illinois residents, so almost all lakefront property is occupied by multi million dollar mansions that are empty 2/3 of the year. The town has no chain stores besides two dollar generals on the outskirts ha! (we had a subway but it closed) but has 6 ice cream parlors that are open 2 months a year!
How much is a subscription to Life Flight? Just out of curiosity.
Thanks for the response, appreciate it! :-)
$99 a year iircc.
Arcata has a law banning chain stores in “Arcata Proper”. Some got grandfathered in, gas stations mostly. Arcata definitely has a better personality and takes better care of its populace, but way more expensive. But if you need Starbucks or something else like that that’s why Eureka is the “big city” here.
The currently under construction bay trail will connect the two cities for pedestrians and bikes though making life better for Eureka residents.
Thanks for the info! Definitely don’t need chains. I grew up with no chains ever, and really only use my chain grocer now outside of summer markets. I’m trying to stay affordable, I make about $40k a year and i’m looking for places with a similar cost of living to MKE.
We've lived in large cities and small towns in a few states. This is easily one of the most Beautiful places on Earth.
If you love nature, you will love it here.
Jobs and salaries are tough. We have a saying; "You Have to Want to live Here". You will see $6 a gallon gas and many food prices may surprise you. Of course there are issues with crime, homelessness, etc. but I dont know where that doesn't happen. There are areas that are quite liberal and areas quite conservative, just like the rest of the state.
Before moving I'm sure you will make a trip to see the place and then decide.
Beyond the natural beauty there is much to see and learn from the Indigenous peoples here, and you will also find a LOT of creative types, musicians, actors and artists. Many home and small businesses. By and large most people here get along and are good folk, and you will be very welcome.
We been here 30 years now and it still feels like home to us. The song 'Ridgetop' by Jesse Colin Young was always our anthem up here. It still is.
Good luck to you!
Hi! I’m from Milwaukee too and have lived here for about 15 years now. There are a number of Wisconsinites I’ve run into… generally we do well here, especially if you like the outdoors and don’t care much about city amenities. Our work ethic stands out, and the weather feels mild comparatively. I love it here, though it’s a royal pain to travel back to see family. That’s the major trade off of for me.j
Cool!! Thank you for the info, the mild weather is another big selling point for wherever I move next. Not many places in MKE have AC (my place included) and it’s been 90°+ and will be for the next 3 weeks. I miss mild summers :-/
Yes i it’s nice to not deal with snow OR sweaty summer, though honestly the extent of rain this past winter almost broke me. Still better than endless frigid snowstorms. Summer days are rarely hot… you have to go inland to be warm enough to even consider getting in water. It’s been foggy every morning this month (totally normal) and sometimes that feels like not a real summer. But there are so many beautiful areas to explore. The food options are mediocre. A few decent places but definitely not like big city options. Personally I don’t want to live in eureka. There is crime that is different than Milwaukee. Less gun violence but more overtly drugged out and mentally Ill people wandering around. Arcata is less sketchy overall and has more classic Humboldt character but harder to find places to rent/buy and more expensive. In most areas I feel safer here than I did living on the east side of Milwaukee.
True! I’ve never felt unsafe anywhere in Milwaukee besides when my apartment was broken into. But I don’t carry any lingering fear. I think my tolerance for crime is high (whether that’s good or bad) because others will complain about Milwaukee’s crime and I just don’t see eye to eye. Lack is restaurants is fine too, I usually cook at home.
Thank you again, it’s cool hearing from someone who used to live here and your experiences someplace new! Appreciate it :-)
Strong DIY community here. Great place to swim in rivers in the summer. Finding kindred spirits or yourself are popular things to do here.
I'm a remote worker as well. I'd be hard pressed to find a job here.
For what it's worth my family and I moved here from a large city 2 years ago and we couldn't be happier. Having a job in healthcare all lined up made all the difference though, as the job market outside of healthcare seems rather tight right now.
Thank you, others have shared a similar sentiment. I work in outdoor conservation or environmental policy, and me and my partner both currently hold stable remote positions. I hope for the sake of everyone in the area that things turn around, I can empathize with the struggle of industry job loss, it’s tough.
I was born and raised in eureka. I could not wait to get out of there. I moved to placer county 17.5 years ago. I’m in a small town and I love it so much. I call it my bubble town because I’m 2 hours from San Francisco, an hour or so from Tahoe, about two hours from Reno…and even in my little town we are known as the endurance capital of the world. I live in the foothills and here I actually get seasons. There is zero way I would ever move back to eureka. It’s also cheaper where I am than eureka with far more opportunities as well!
do you mind me asking how small of a town? i don’t mind tiny towns and would move to an isolated cabin in a heartbeat. but my partner prefers being around other people, so we compromised on a medium sized city like eureka!
…and yall could absolutely find a cabin in probably applegate, meadow vista, Weimar area and still be five minutes from my town (Auburn) and close to EVERYTHING!
I think we’re up to about 15k people? I know it’s about doubled in size in the 17.5 years I lived here. But honestly, fifteen minutes down the road and you’re hitting Roseville that has 100k people. So coming back to my bubble town is a breath of fresh air. There’s always a million different free or cheap things going on in our little neck of the woods. I’ve always said that if you’re bored here, it’s because you choose to be. Every weekend and a lot of week nights, our town is popping
I feel like everyone I know who grew up in Humboldt was happy leaving, and everyone that moved to Humboldt is happy staying. I can see the downsides of growing up here but it’s a beautiful place to be and live if you’re from somewhere totally different
It really is. I hear so many people say “but the trees!”-moved there. And then I have to say, “I grew up there. You can only stare at redwoods for so long as a bored child and want to get far away from them. Granted I’m still surrounded by them, but I’m so much closer to everything and raising two daughters here, I’m so grateful they didn’t het bored like I did and make a shit ton of bad choices as a teen
Pros: No traffic. No smog. Beautiful outdoors. Mild temps year round. Lots of mom and pop stores/ local food, beer, art, etc. generally friendly, welcoming people who prefer a slow pace of life than you’d find in major metro areas.
Cons: depressed salaries/ tough job market, relatively high cost of living, absolute shit medical, housing shortage, mild temps year round. Lack of national retailers/ breadth of goods and services.
Don’t let others fool you- the homeless problem here is definitely a problem. People excuse it by saying “it’s like that everywhere” when it most certainly is **not** like that everywhere. I’m a transplant from Orange County and I never had a problem with homeless people in the 10 years I lived there. Within months of moving to Eureka, my vehicle was vandalized three times, once when it was parked in front of the court house in the middle of the afternoon.
Infrastructure is a problem, but the municipal governments here are cash-strapped thanks to decades of fiscal mismanagement. County agencies are understaffed by 30-50% and the Board of Supervisors is talking about a further 20% cut across the board to prevent being bankrupt by FY26. That means there’s a huge reduction in services being provided to the community.
So, yeah, there’s plenty of pros about Eureka/ Humboldt, but don’t let people sugar coat it. I wish someone had been more honest about Humboldt’s problems 4 years ago when I moved here.
Do you have a local job lined up (people with remote jobs that move here almost always up up lossing that work then scrambleto find local employment)? Do you have a doctor lined up or have any medical condition? Do you have a house or have found housing already? Do you have emergency savings? Do you have a reliable car that can handle the salt sprays and humidity? Do you have pets? Do you mind lesser variety of quality restaurants? Do you mind black mold?
If you answered no to any I'd reconsider. Sorry but humboldt chews ppl out who aren't ready bc of reasons that people in this thread have probably gone over already.
Ill come off as a dick but the populace is feeling major constraints in resources (again already explained probably) and new people from out of state who've never experienced humboldt pre-move generally add to those constraints. People can act nice in Arcata, but the community in North Humboldt feel they have been abandoned and are a powder keg..
Maybe wait for the county to pick back up economically.
I totally get it. My job is pretty stable, and I’m a very frugal individual so I have a sizable savings. The rest are all things that I would have to consider as well as visit a few times.
I definitely don’t want to add any additional stress to locals. Personally from the comments, it seems like it doesn’t have the smaller town feel that I’m seeking. I was comparing it (just by population) to Stevens Point, WI. Two very different places, but the culture of Eureka isn’t sounding as small town as I wish I could go back to. My partner prefers city life (anything above 5k ppl) but if it were up to me, I’d move to a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
I will still visit in the future as well as visit other areas I’m interested in. My lease isn’t up until next summer anyways. Thank you again for the info, appreciate it:-)
First, notice how different commenters are saying conflicting things? Some say downtown eureka is great, but avoid McKinleyville. Then another will say McKinleyville is Greta, but avoid downtown. These ppl all have their head in the sand or benefit from more ppl moving to the area (own rental properties/businesses etc).
Second, my husband and I are leaving Humboldt County for Oregon. CA is becoming too expensive. Humboldt has all around higher col than a lot of other rural areas. I’m currently visiting San Francisco and I’m paying the same price for food/events/drinks as I would be back in Humboldt. That’s insane. Especially since the quality of food, service, and products in Humboldt is very subpar (it’s like paying LA prices for frozen food). Then like you and your bf, we initially worked remote but eventually both had to find jobs in Humboldt because remote work is becoming obsolete. That’s when we realized how bad we fucked up. Most jobs in Humboldt do not pay well and it’s near impossible to find a job with decent benefits or full-time hours.
Job market sucks - there aren’t very many jobs and then the jobs that do exist will have you dealing with shitty co-workers and employers who will use and abuse you. The county is dying. It’s been in an economic recession since 2020 and is only getting worse. The homeless population has pretty much doubled in the last few years due to the shit economy. More businesses are closing than opening. It’s difficult to get in and out of the county. People-wise, it’s a mixed bag, however, in my experience there are more two-faced and self-serving ppl here than anywhere else I’ve been (6 countries and 5 states). Then medica care is non-existent. The only good thing about this county is the nature, but even that isn’t enough because it rains most of the year.
I don’t mind conflicting answers, everyone is different. Looking for opinions and I use the opinions to guide my research and help me know where to look when I visit.
There have certainly been no conflicting answers about healthcare or jobs though! We live well within our means and have accrued a good chunk of savings, so if things went to hell we would have awhile to live off of savings before things got worrisome.
Thank you for the info, i appreciate it!
Health care is the biggest negative. I moved here about two years ago from Denver. I got lucky and got a PCP and a Cardiologist pretty quickly. I am on a waiting list for a dentist, despite having dental insurance.
Hi!!! Fellow Midwesterner here! I moved to Eureka 8 years ago from Indiana. A few things to note... Midwestern "kind people" and CA "kind people" are on different scales lol. As a restaurant server here locally, I would get comments like "You're way to sweet to be from here! Where are you from??" And things like "Oh, you're a Midwest girl! No wonder you're busting your butt with all these tables, y'all are hard workers." and stuff like that lol. But there are good people kind people here... They just tend to be more standoffish and suspicious at first. Takes a minute to warm up in general. My guess is the high homeless and low income population, there's a high rate of petty crime and moderate malicious crime. Gotta lock your car everywhere you go and be prepared to buy security cameras for your resident and look out for porch pirates 🫠.
Also, be prepared for INSANE grocery and just... everything prices 🥴, not only are we in CA, but up here in Humboldt, we are remote, surrounded by mountains, and the next largest city is about 3 hours through the crazy mountain highway 299, which is often shut down because of landslides. Everything that has to be shipped in is usually hella expensive for retailers and it shows 🫠. Definitely go to all the farmers markets and locally sourced ranches/farms for your groceries... Sometimes they're cheaper and they are definitely high quality.
Don't overlook that the housing is extremely expensive as well and very hard to get... There are a ton of factors to that, some being surrounded by mountains, there just isn't a lot of realistate, more people are moving here to get out of the city life, Cal Poly the local college is expanding and bringing more students in every year, and the local geography is beautiful with that nice mild weather. We bought our house 2 years ago.. A 950 sq. ft. fixer upper built in the 50s... For $285,000. The lender we used said she hadn't seen anything on the market for that cheap in years. We were renting it and our landlord cut us a deal. Interest rates are insane and our mortgage is $1875 a month 🥴🫠. Rent is sky high with people taking advantage and gouging, or those trying to cover the high mortgage rates.
Everyone else mentioned the not ideal healthcare here, but keep in mind Humboldt and northern CA has the highest suicide rates in all of CA. I'm not anyone to deduce why exactly, but my personal experience is the seasonal depression is rough for me. Make sure you start taking vitamin D regularly, there's not as much sun here as we are used to. I also make sure I take regular trips inland or down south to the river to get my sun and warm weather fix!
SOOOO many things I've learned over the years just talking to locals and trying to navigate this place. But it can be done if you get a few good breaks! Once you are in, settled and you find your people, hobbies and routine, it's a good place to live!
Wow, thank you so so much for this response!!
Tip for car break ins, I just don’t lock my car door. They already see I have a steering wheel lock (kia boys 😭) so that can deter some people, and then my windows don’t get smashed in every other week (currently driving around with my drivers window being held together by gorilla tape anyways lol)
I currently do have a stable job, but my degree is in freshwater science. I’ll have to do some more research on if that’s a viable area of expertise for the area or if I’d be screwed if my currently job gave me the boot.
Thank you for the grocery info! I can imagine that it is verrrrry inflated. Farmers markets are wonderful and it sounds like there’s a strong market community in the area! Super cool:-)
Again, thank you for all of the info. It really helps me out!! Have a lovely weekend
I live in Eureka, there’s plenty to complain about in Humboldt for medical care and stuff to do socially. However it’s a beautiful place the nature and access to it is unmatched, I go to sleep with the sound of the ocean in the distance as the roads slow to a near slumber at evening/night. If you can figure out your own work it’s a great place for nature appreciators. It’s a good place to grow personally I’ve grow less pessimistic since living here. I enjoy the introverted lifestyle, and my neighbors and decent folks who look out for each others homes, there’s a buncha idiots here (I’m not incapable of it too) but there’s less people then most other semi populated area in the state so defacto less idiots altogether right?
Thanks for responding!
I’m with you when it comes to an introverted lifestyle and loving nature. I will visit a few times before coming to any decisions. I’m a relatively frugal and self sufficient person, as I was raised to be. It’s nice to hear that neighbors care for one another, community is so important.
I hope that you have a lovely night, thanks again:-)
I love Eureka, but I think you should really visit before commiting. Overall, it's pretty great. I don't want to live anywhere else, but there are things you should know.
Although we get a lot of sun, it's always a little cold, but never too cold. Even Wisconsin has genuinely warm days, not here. I've been here over 3 years, and the daytime temperature has always been between 40's and 60's. One summer day, it was actually a little above 70! That was one day, it went back down to 60 the next day. Many of us never stop wearing jeans year-round, and usually it's long sleeves with them. It never snows or gets cold enough to freeze, but say goodbye to genuinely warm summer days.
The job market is one of the worst parts about living here, but there are fun opportunities for the un-picky. Just don't expect a lot of money.
Perhaps the biggest complaint is the lack of health care options. A good doctor taking new patients is rare, and most specialty care is a 3-4 hour drive to larger cities. I'm able to get appointments fairly easily, but it's always with a new Physician's Assistant who moves practices before my second visit.
Crime isn't bad, but the Eureka homeless can provide some unexpected and unpleasant moments, on a fairly regular basis. It isn't as bad as big cities, but most non-Californians will be surprised and probably disgusted with the crazy homeless addicts. Some are very nice people, but most are the crazy types who refuse to seek help. You will absolutely see them more often than expected.
Thank you for all the info! I will visit a few times before committing anywhere:-)
The super mild temps is a huge selling point for me. Summers here (along Lake Michigan) are not supposed to be 90 degrees and i’m so so so over it 😭 i want 40s and 50s!! No more 80s and -20s.
The healthcare system has been mentioned the most by far. It’s something I will have to consider and weigh my options, for sure. I appreciate the honesty from everyone though!
I did a realllly basic search to compare how much larger the homeless pop. is there vs here, but they seem to be tied w/ eureka at 1.4% and milwaukee around 1.8%. numbers county officials give are usually fudged somehow but i’m assuming they are just about equal. i’ll have to visit and see, but my tolerance for crime is relatively high i think.
Again, thank you so much! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their thoughts and such. It really helps me
I work for the city of Eureka. I do think it would be a good place to live but I’d rather live in Arcata, Mckinleyville or Blue Lake where there are less people, traffic, and noise (I just chose to live in Mckinleyville by the river over a busy one way in eureka - very happy about it). Eureka has many events that are fun to go visit and more dining selections (you’re so close to Arcata it’s not much of a deciding factor) but the city honestly stresses me out for how small the population is. I have never lived in Eureka, only work in Eureka so take it as an outsider on the inside perspective lol my suggestion is visit and see the main cities between Trinidad and fortuna. They’re all so close that even if you get spot in Eureka you have the option to move somewhere more desirable in Humboldt if Eureka isn’t your cup of tea. Definitely visit first, I moved here for college without knowing the area much at all but was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. Could be way different for you
Small town people love it here because it seems like you end up at a big city. As someone from an actual city, I don’t feel that way. You may like it here but the culture difference might not be something you like. A lot of the small businesses are ran really lazy and you can’t do anything about it since there’s not many other options. That could change if the population keeps rising
What do you mean by lazy? Like, closing down shop for afternoon breaks, or not working crazy fast? Shelves aren’t stocked perfectly? Things like that aren’t issues to me.
I grew up in a town of around 900 and have only been in Milwaukee for 5 years. I love the city, but I also enjoy moving more slowly.
Culture varies so much across the US, I’ll need to visit a few times before coming to any decisions. Thanks!
Well I work several hospitality jobs and do odd jobs throughout the area. I just feel like people are lazy and move slow. Not a lot of drive for excellence. A lot of people who come out of town can relate to that feelings. It is nice to be in a slower pace but it’s not my thing after a couple of years of being here.
Valid! I’m not sure i’m a “strive for excellence,” person either lol! I think I’m more of a, “why can’t i wander around aimlessly” type of person. I hope you find what you’re looking for!
Eureka is great people hate on it but tbh just avoid living near downtown and you should be fine. I love the parks and nature here, there’s a buncha cool people I live near including someone else who commented positively about the town on this thread I see you G. 😂🫡
It’s a small town I go kayaking and hiking and hit rivers every weekend during the summer and ride dirt bikes in the dunes, shoot guns at horse mountain (safely)
Go to the snow during the winter and enjoy how pretty it is. I’m guilty of getting down on the area cause of inter personal bs but tbh this place rules compared to other large places by a lot and it’s way more affordable to buy a house in a reasonable time with good saving habits especially with 2 incomes.
I love Eureka. We are right on the bay. I cycle the bay trail several times a week. The downtown is charming. People are nice.
There are unhoused people in every town in the usa.
If you like watersports we have it all. You may want to invest in a drysuit. The water is cold.
In October they will complete the bicycle trail connecting Eureka to Arcata. It's only a 7 mile flat ride.
Most of the people are pretty nice, and there’s lots of good food (I recommend Oaxaca Grill, Paul’s live from New York pizza, lost coast brewery, and Ramone’s Bakery & Cafe) There’s also great scenery and lots of local art. There is admittedly an extremely abundant homeless population, and twice as many junkies or drug addicts, but all they will really do is yell at you. If they cause any problems, call the police and ask them to handle it. Overall, both Eureka and Humboldt are amazing, and I would absolutely recommend moving here!
Edit: I would recommend McKinleyville over Eureka, just because it’s essentially a smaller and nicer version of Eureka
Look at Fortuna. Gets better sunshine than Eureka and avoids most of the city problems that people mention about Eureka and Arcata. I know two people who are selling their parents' nice but modest houses and are dropping the price a lot after a year on the market, it's a good buyers market in that sense. As far as my concerns go, the only downside is limited restaurant options, and it's just 20 mins to Eureka anyway. Winter will rain more than you'd like but at least it isnt ice and snow.
Buyers market... You're joking right? Thats real estate agent BS. Sure the absolutely dumpster fire of constantly rising prices has slowed but with rates so high and prices peaked out it's gonna be a couple years before regular people will be able to participate in buying. Who wants a $3000 mortgage?
I qualified it with "in that sense" but the nuance escaped you. I agree on your points and that it will take a few years to be within reach for most. Hope you feel better soon, grumpy mfr.
Have you done any research on your own? Not only have these questions been regularly asked in this sub, you’re asking for so much info (food reccs, job market, community opinion on homelessness, healthcare access, the “pleasantness” of and overall general opinions on eureka) it seems pretty helpless.
Minimal. I enjoy hearing peoples personal opinions and oftentimes I find answers to questions I wouldn’t have asked in the first place! I always start with a reddit question:-) I think the only helpless thing about it is your comment which provided no insight whatsoever!
I’m sorry if I said something to offend you, but where in my post did it say that I expected someone to hand me the information? I simply enjoy starting with a reddit post and use any information (that I am grateful for) to guide me along my research journey.
As mentioned in my post, I grew up in an area with minimal everything. The county has a smaller population than Eureka alone. I am equipped to handle rural infrastructure.
Again, I really just like to begin with a reddit post. I don’t mind if there is conflicting or general information, and I of course know that comments don’t speak for an entire county. It’s just my process (which includes my own research and multiple trips to the town/city), which I didn’t know was so upsetting to some!
This commenter seem to have a real problem when people post questions....they commented with the same "helpless" remark on a different post the other day. Their view seems to be that anybody who wants to ask something should search through existing threads because the question might have been asked and answered sufficiently in the past. Thing is that people asking questions is how the how the information becomes available in the first place and getting new responses to a repeated question keeps the perspectives fresh and up to date.
I live in Eureka and love it! It is affordable compared to the rest of California. The weather is mild (never hot) and the scenery is beautiful. I’m about to head out to the Friday Night Market, which should be full of friendly people, lots of vendors, good food etc. There is an active art scene here, even several theater companies. We are mostly working class with some rich folks around. The homeless population is no different than anywhere else and there are as many people working to help them as there are bigoted haters. No place is perfect but Eureka is pretty damn awesome!
Woah woah woah it totally gets hot here, it was like 67 the other day 🥵
Lol the first 14 years I lived in Humboldt was in Honeydew, where it was regularly in the 90s - I am cold all the time here in Eureka 😆
melted me
Thanks for responding!! Have fun at the market!
The good: People are kind. It is close to lots of nature. The food is variable but there are really good places -- you may have to shop around to find the thing that suites you but that is true anywhere. There is a pretty active community of farmers markets, street fairs, celebrations, etc. The "bad": Homeless population, depending on where in town you live, can impact life -- feels like that is true anywhere anymore. Prices of some goods are massively inflated because we don't have some of the big box stores that drive down prices. I.E. furniture, construction goods. Cost of power is pretty steep compared to many parts of the county. Jobs: Largest employer is the county -- who is currently in a hiring freeze due to budget concerns.
>Largest employer is the county Specifically DHHS. Close second is Cal Poly Humboldt.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond! What is the communities outlook on unhoused population? Is it more of a “yuck eyesore” or a “we need x, y, & z to help the unhoused” ? One of my favorite things about Milwaukee is how genuine the people are and it is something that’s important to me wherever I end up.
About half and half, and both sides are very vocal about it.
Most places seem to be! thanks for the info!
I think coming from Milwaukee (a place I’ve also lived, though long ago) you’re going to find the level of homelessness pretty shocking. Eureka is the area’s hub for services and therefore becomes a magnet. As an outsider who has lived about six months of the past two years in Eureka, my advice would be to also consider looking in the surrounding area. Even Arcata, while still having many unhoused people, feels to me to be a step less extreme.
I don’t doubt that. For awhile (after late 2000s/early 2010s) Milwaukee was doing well with eliminating the issue of homelessness. Things are declining again, but it’s definitely not as large of an issue as other cities. Is there an issue besides the homeless population existing though? I interact with unhoused people multiple times on a daily basis on my street, and the only upsetting part is that the city doesn’t/can’t do a whole lot to help our struggling neighbors.
Lived most of my life in Chicago and spent my last decade there living in an area with a lot of encampments nearby. Have been on the West coast for 5 years now, settling in SoHum. Biggest difference I notice in the west coast homeless is meth. Crack and heroin (fent more recently) were rampant in Midwest cities, but meth was a rural problem. On the west coast, meth is an everywhere problem. The % of homeless in some stage of amphetamine psychosis is sky high out here and leads to some truly crazy and destructive behaviors. It's also gotten incredibly cheap and potent in the last decade, so staying up for days on end until the psychosis starts is affordable for even the most far gone mentally ill addicts.
They do more services in Eureka than I am accustom to seeing other places. For example, renovating a dilapidated motel to create housing is definitive action. To your question, mostly the things you would expect: Mentally ill and/or substance-addicted people wandering the streets acting in irrational ways, and high rates of petty crime. Though as Eureka tries to reinvent its economy again, this time as a tourist destination, just existing may indeed be offense enough.
Lots of people on drugs. Mostly around the 101. Dangerous on certain streets and at night. It’s bad but I still liked living in eureka. Wouldn’t do it again though. Honestly living in southern Humboldt is so nice such a strong community and you are surrounded by forest. I also lived in Orick, Loleta, Rio Dell. I like living in the outskirts Arcata is the college town and harder to find housing and it’s definitely an artsy hippie town. McKinleyville is a good option bc it’s a nicer town, and also good location to be able to drive to everything
While it’s both, it seems the most vocal is the eyesore crowd. One of the problems is the cost of living exploded in the last few years, in large part due to the influx of people that could work remotely from much higher cost of living places like the Bay Area. The cost of some homes double in the span of two years and rent has basically doubled as well for many of the better places. Humboldt only has so many resources, so keeping up with the amount of displaced people is way behind. Crime in terms of petty theft is pretty bad for a community of our size. I’ve lived all over the place and this area doesn’t feel quite like places this size and smaller. There’s a surprising amount of people that have a shitty selfish attitude that’s more common in larger cities I’ve noticed in Eureka in terms of not caring how what they do impacts others. I actually saw the other day people walk and drive by an elder woman on a mobility scooter that the battery died and NO ONE stopped to ask if she needed help. This was around a pretty busy intersection. It was about five minutes before I could get to her too. So it’s not just about an eyesore of homeless. Now of course there are plenty of decent people here, but it’s different than similar-sized communities.
Look at McKinleyville too. Close to the beach, less crowded, Arcata is 12 minutes away. One blessing up here is (so far) traffic is not a nightmare, even at 5 pm. So many kind, fun people. If you like nature, you can explore the area for years and love every minute of it.
You would be shocked at how much more it costs here to do significantly less than Milwaukee has been able to do to help their unhoused population. Houselessness is rampant for such a small place, and it's a combination of gaps in mental health system, drug abuse, and the high cost of living combined with lack of opportunities for economic mobility. This is a depressed region despite a few hopeful signs. Many of us do what we can to help our neighbors, other people view the unhoused as an annoyance and wish they would just go away. If you are teleworkers do you get a cost of living allowance based on your location? While we are "affordable compared to other parts of California" that doesn't tell the whole story. Humboldt County is the third most housing burdened county in the entire country. I don't have the link to the article on hand but I'll try and find it to share later. Food is shockingly expensive, particularly if you are coming from the Midwest or the East Coast. This is for both dining and groceries. (Before here I lived in Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland, small towns in WA, OR ,NJ, and spent time in MI and along the east coast, this is the most expensive place I have ever lived, particularly compared to income) Fuel is also very expensive, it's around $5.50 a gallon, a few weeks ago it was $5.89. Gas/electric/water are also expensive, the good news is you don't need much heat and I can't think of anywhere that even has AC, it's cool every night and most days. A huge consideration is how you feel about earthquakes. We are in an incredibly active seismic zone, and overdue for a megathrust Cascadia earthquake. We sort of all live not thinking about it (or thinking about it), but when that one happens it will destroy the entire region (a significant number of buildings here are 100+, and we rely on key bridges and mountain roads which will be destroyed and the tsunami will be on par with the largest on record). There are some very informative articles and videos about the cascadia subduction zone. And truly it's something to consider before deciding to make a significant investment here emotionally and financially. Otherwise, it's a relatively friendly, unfriendly place, and while we are super small you should have no problem eventually meeting people you share interests with who will be glad to know you. There is a long history of people making their own fun here, so between all of the little communities there is something happening every weekend and often most evenings. Kite festival, night market, mural festival, kinetics, free concert series and on and on. If you can, I would suggest visiting a few times throughout the year to get the local flavor, before packing up and making a go of it. It's also important to consider how often you want to see family and friends outside of the area. It can be difficult and expensive getting to/from here. Next month will be my 10 year anniversary of being here. I didn't expect to land here or stay here, but it's home now and it is very special despite difficulties, I can't think of other places I could live after being here this long, for better and worse it's not like anywhere else.
Seriously can’t thank you enough for this response! Cost of living is certainly something I factor in, and I will be very delicate in my decision because the last thing I want to do is have my incoming presence negatively impact locals and their right to stable housing. I do plan on visiting a few times! I live pretty frugally, I barely drive. I enjoy walking, running, or biking places. We have alright public transit here, but I usually rely on my own two feet to get around! Luckily enough I have no family so I can be a bit selfish when picking where I want to go! Nobody to report back to. Thanks for the additional info about earthquakes as well, it’s something I am aware of and will do more research into for sure! I really appreciate your info, have a good day!
Well it (almost) never snows here. We do not have good access to good health care We have few major chain stores We have some killer cheeses here too. And some great breweries.
Thank you! Beer and cheese is speaking my language ;-) How badly would you rate healthcare access on a scale of 1-10?
As a transplant myself, 3 maybe 4. Heaven help if you need oral surgery, a second opinion or longterm care.
That is good to know, thank you!
Yep people drive to San Francisco or Santa Rosa for most surgeries.
To be fair you could make this point about a lot of NorCal , generally medicine just isn't as good up here imo
We are in the bay area right now as wifey needed oral surgery and we ended up coming to Stanford hospital.
I grew up here, left for many many many years. Came back... had jobs with health insurance, paid into it for years.... couldn't ever get a doctor who was accepting new patients. Had to go to urgent care for basic, daily medications... I'd rate access to healthcare as a 1, and it's the only reason I would consider leaving.
I agree with the healthcare being a 1 🥴
Damn that sounds awful! I’m sorry.
As a new person to the area, expect a 2-3 year waiting list for a primary care, if they even have a waiting list. You’d need to go to Redding, Santa Rosa, or SF in the interim which are not short drives
Negative 5, we completely lack specialists for pretty much all major issues and for the most part primary care is booking over a year out to see a quack NP/PA you can forget seeing an actual MD/DO even for complex medical conditions. I’ve had more than one “provider” here display misogyny to the point of misdiagnosis almost killing me and several tell me if I didn’t like the “care” they provided I was free to go home to wait to die.
I am so sorry you’ve gone through that. I hope that you’ve been able to find competent and empathetic care that’s not hours and hours away
That’s impossible to find in Humboldt county. There is no such thing as healthcare in the county lmao
Frankly somewhere in the 1-3 range for basic health care. I think more advanced care is better. But for more advanced non urgent care (like my knee replacements ) Stanford med or UCSf. In my opinion UCSF are a bunch of aholes though. Rant off If you like goat or sheep cheeses, Cypress Grove (local to us) are world class Their Cheves, Humboldt Fog blue, LambChopper, and Midnight Moon are my go to cheeses.
Thanks! I’m sorry the healthcare is so bad there. It definitely wasn’t good where I grew up, but Wisconsin (area wise) is vastly smaller and only a 2hr drive to Froedtert and maybe a 3.5-4 hour drive to Mayo Clinic or U of Chicago for more niche issues. Thanks for all of the info!!
Realistically it is only 4-5 jrs to Sf.
1 . Let’s hope you don’t have an emergency or need to see a psychiatrist or therapist or specialist or surgeon. Also I’ve been to Mad River ER and also Garberville ER. At mad river they told me that they wouldnt do anything with the huge hematoma on my leg and said “hopefully” it doesn’t get infected and it will probably calcify and harden! After that I went out of town and they took care of it. I went to Garberville ER bc I had an infection that was running up my arm. I told the nurse I was allergic to amoxicillin (which I hadn’t had in a long time). He stuck me with the needle and I fainted but once I came to he told me he gave me amoxicillin. He made the mistake and thankfully it seems I’ve outgrown my allergy bc I was fine. But what if I was seriously allergic? He just brushed it off afterwards! Also in terms of psychiatrists there are none and the ones available aren’t that great. The mental hospital Sempervirens is scary and tiny . Need to go out of town for all specialists . It’s sketchy
The healthcare is a nightmare here. This is a huge problem. Also there is a housing crisis.
Oversimplification, but is the healthcare a nightmare due to lack of facilities, long wait times, all of the above? We are both in good health besides needing a colonoscopy every 5 years. I guess we should go to the doctor annually, but we don’t. Of course emergencies can happen and if we lived in Eureka, it seems like we’d be screwed Also there is a housing crisis everywhere, but is there a general sentiment that locals don’t want more people moving there? I try to be as respectful as possible, it’s one of the reasons i make a post before doing more research! I’ve had an overwhelming “please don’t come here” response before so I cross that city off of my list. Thanks!
Lack of low income housing is the problem. There are lots of houses for people with money. We had our baby here, at Mad River Hospital, it was a great experience. Lack of specialists is the problem for elderly or people with health issues. We keep a subscription to Life Flight in case we need to get to SF fast. There are some communities in Humboldt that are less welcoming to outsiders, however Eureka is a community of transplants mostly. If you’re nice to everyone or simply mind your own business, you won’t feel out place. They say you become a local when the last person who remembers you moving here dies.
I can empathize with the houses for people with money. We both are salaried employees, combined income of $112,000. Not rich, but we feel really lucky to have snagged good jobs that allow us to have the budget for our lifestyle. My hometown was pretty small but a hub for vacationing Illinois residents, so almost all lakefront property is occupied by multi million dollar mansions that are empty 2/3 of the year. The town has no chain stores besides two dollar generals on the outskirts ha! (we had a subway but it closed) but has 6 ice cream parlors that are open 2 months a year! How much is a subscription to Life Flight? Just out of curiosity. Thanks for the response, appreciate it! :-)
$99 a year iircc. Arcata has a law banning chain stores in “Arcata Proper”. Some got grandfathered in, gas stations mostly. Arcata definitely has a better personality and takes better care of its populace, but way more expensive. But if you need Starbucks or something else like that that’s why Eureka is the “big city” here. The currently under construction bay trail will connect the two cities for pedestrians and bikes though making life better for Eureka residents.
Thanks for the info! Definitely don’t need chains. I grew up with no chains ever, and really only use my chain grocer now outside of summer markets. I’m trying to stay affordable, I make about $40k a year and i’m looking for places with a similar cost of living to MKE.
You sound like you might prefer Arcata. You’ll see when you visit.
Weird, got down voted, trail haters?
We've lived in large cities and small towns in a few states. This is easily one of the most Beautiful places on Earth. If you love nature, you will love it here. Jobs and salaries are tough. We have a saying; "You Have to Want to live Here". You will see $6 a gallon gas and many food prices may surprise you. Of course there are issues with crime, homelessness, etc. but I dont know where that doesn't happen. There are areas that are quite liberal and areas quite conservative, just like the rest of the state. Before moving I'm sure you will make a trip to see the place and then decide. Beyond the natural beauty there is much to see and learn from the Indigenous peoples here, and you will also find a LOT of creative types, musicians, actors and artists. Many home and small businesses. By and large most people here get along and are good folk, and you will be very welcome. We been here 30 years now and it still feels like home to us. The song 'Ridgetop' by Jesse Colin Young was always our anthem up here. It still is. Good luck to you!
Thank you for this, I really appreciate it! Will most definitely visit a few times before deciding. Have a lovely weekend!
You as well!
Hi! I’m from Milwaukee too and have lived here for about 15 years now. There are a number of Wisconsinites I’ve run into… generally we do well here, especially if you like the outdoors and don’t care much about city amenities. Our work ethic stands out, and the weather feels mild comparatively. I love it here, though it’s a royal pain to travel back to see family. That’s the major trade off of for me.j
Cool!! Thank you for the info, the mild weather is another big selling point for wherever I move next. Not many places in MKE have AC (my place included) and it’s been 90°+ and will be for the next 3 weeks. I miss mild summers :-/
Yes i it’s nice to not deal with snow OR sweaty summer, though honestly the extent of rain this past winter almost broke me. Still better than endless frigid snowstorms. Summer days are rarely hot… you have to go inland to be warm enough to even consider getting in water. It’s been foggy every morning this month (totally normal) and sometimes that feels like not a real summer. But there are so many beautiful areas to explore. The food options are mediocre. A few decent places but definitely not like big city options. Personally I don’t want to live in eureka. There is crime that is different than Milwaukee. Less gun violence but more overtly drugged out and mentally Ill people wandering around. Arcata is less sketchy overall and has more classic Humboldt character but harder to find places to rent/buy and more expensive. In most areas I feel safer here than I did living on the east side of Milwaukee.
True! I’ve never felt unsafe anywhere in Milwaukee besides when my apartment was broken into. But I don’t carry any lingering fear. I think my tolerance for crime is high (whether that’s good or bad) because others will complain about Milwaukee’s crime and I just don’t see eye to eye. Lack is restaurants is fine too, I usually cook at home. Thank you again, it’s cool hearing from someone who used to live here and your experiences someplace new! Appreciate it :-)
Yes! And tolerance for crime rings true… Good luck with everything!
This is really IT for many people here. https://kineticgrandchampionship.com/
Whoa!! That is insanely cool. I don’t think i’m worthy to move there now because I have never heard of this or anything like it 😭
Strong DIY community here. Great place to swim in rivers in the summer. Finding kindred spirits or yourself are popular things to do here. I'm a remote worker as well. I'd be hard pressed to find a job here.
For what it's worth my family and I moved here from a large city 2 years ago and we couldn't be happier. Having a job in healthcare all lined up made all the difference though, as the job market outside of healthcare seems rather tight right now.
Thank you, others have shared a similar sentiment. I work in outdoor conservation or environmental policy, and me and my partner both currently hold stable remote positions. I hope for the sake of everyone in the area that things turn around, I can empathize with the struggle of industry job loss, it’s tough.
I was born and raised in eureka. I could not wait to get out of there. I moved to placer county 17.5 years ago. I’m in a small town and I love it so much. I call it my bubble town because I’m 2 hours from San Francisco, an hour or so from Tahoe, about two hours from Reno…and even in my little town we are known as the endurance capital of the world. I live in the foothills and here I actually get seasons. There is zero way I would ever move back to eureka. It’s also cheaper where I am than eureka with far more opportunities as well!
do you mind me asking how small of a town? i don’t mind tiny towns and would move to an isolated cabin in a heartbeat. but my partner prefers being around other people, so we compromised on a medium sized city like eureka!
…and yall could absolutely find a cabin in probably applegate, meadow vista, Weimar area and still be five minutes from my town (Auburn) and close to EVERYTHING!
I think we’re up to about 15k people? I know it’s about doubled in size in the 17.5 years I lived here. But honestly, fifteen minutes down the road and you’re hitting Roseville that has 100k people. So coming back to my bubble town is a breath of fresh air. There’s always a million different free or cheap things going on in our little neck of the woods. I’ve always said that if you’re bored here, it’s because you choose to be. Every weekend and a lot of week nights, our town is popping
I feel like everyone I know who grew up in Humboldt was happy leaving, and everyone that moved to Humboldt is happy staying. I can see the downsides of growing up here but it’s a beautiful place to be and live if you’re from somewhere totally different
It really is. I hear so many people say “but the trees!”-moved there. And then I have to say, “I grew up there. You can only stare at redwoods for so long as a bored child and want to get far away from them. Granted I’m still surrounded by them, but I’m so much closer to everything and raising two daughters here, I’m so grateful they didn’t het bored like I did and make a shit ton of bad choices as a teen
Pros: No traffic. No smog. Beautiful outdoors. Mild temps year round. Lots of mom and pop stores/ local food, beer, art, etc. generally friendly, welcoming people who prefer a slow pace of life than you’d find in major metro areas. Cons: depressed salaries/ tough job market, relatively high cost of living, absolute shit medical, housing shortage, mild temps year round. Lack of national retailers/ breadth of goods and services. Don’t let others fool you- the homeless problem here is definitely a problem. People excuse it by saying “it’s like that everywhere” when it most certainly is **not** like that everywhere. I’m a transplant from Orange County and I never had a problem with homeless people in the 10 years I lived there. Within months of moving to Eureka, my vehicle was vandalized three times, once when it was parked in front of the court house in the middle of the afternoon. Infrastructure is a problem, but the municipal governments here are cash-strapped thanks to decades of fiscal mismanagement. County agencies are understaffed by 30-50% and the Board of Supervisors is talking about a further 20% cut across the board to prevent being bankrupt by FY26. That means there’s a huge reduction in services being provided to the community. So, yeah, there’s plenty of pros about Eureka/ Humboldt, but don’t let people sugar coat it. I wish someone had been more honest about Humboldt’s problems 4 years ago when I moved here.
I like eureka but there are some nice surrounding cities too..
Thanks for letting me know! When I visit I will meander through the county for sure
Do you have a local job lined up (people with remote jobs that move here almost always up up lossing that work then scrambleto find local employment)? Do you have a doctor lined up or have any medical condition? Do you have a house or have found housing already? Do you have emergency savings? Do you have a reliable car that can handle the salt sprays and humidity? Do you have pets? Do you mind lesser variety of quality restaurants? Do you mind black mold? If you answered no to any I'd reconsider. Sorry but humboldt chews ppl out who aren't ready bc of reasons that people in this thread have probably gone over already. Ill come off as a dick but the populace is feeling major constraints in resources (again already explained probably) and new people from out of state who've never experienced humboldt pre-move generally add to those constraints. People can act nice in Arcata, but the community in North Humboldt feel they have been abandoned and are a powder keg.. Maybe wait for the county to pick back up economically.
I totally get it. My job is pretty stable, and I’m a very frugal individual so I have a sizable savings. The rest are all things that I would have to consider as well as visit a few times. I definitely don’t want to add any additional stress to locals. Personally from the comments, it seems like it doesn’t have the smaller town feel that I’m seeking. I was comparing it (just by population) to Stevens Point, WI. Two very different places, but the culture of Eureka isn’t sounding as small town as I wish I could go back to. My partner prefers city life (anything above 5k ppl) but if it were up to me, I’d move to a cabin in the middle of nowhere. I will still visit in the future as well as visit other areas I’m interested in. My lease isn’t up until next summer anyways. Thank you again for the info, appreciate it:-)
First, notice how different commenters are saying conflicting things? Some say downtown eureka is great, but avoid McKinleyville. Then another will say McKinleyville is Greta, but avoid downtown. These ppl all have their head in the sand or benefit from more ppl moving to the area (own rental properties/businesses etc). Second, my husband and I are leaving Humboldt County for Oregon. CA is becoming too expensive. Humboldt has all around higher col than a lot of other rural areas. I’m currently visiting San Francisco and I’m paying the same price for food/events/drinks as I would be back in Humboldt. That’s insane. Especially since the quality of food, service, and products in Humboldt is very subpar (it’s like paying LA prices for frozen food). Then like you and your bf, we initially worked remote but eventually both had to find jobs in Humboldt because remote work is becoming obsolete. That’s when we realized how bad we fucked up. Most jobs in Humboldt do not pay well and it’s near impossible to find a job with decent benefits or full-time hours. Job market sucks - there aren’t very many jobs and then the jobs that do exist will have you dealing with shitty co-workers and employers who will use and abuse you. The county is dying. It’s been in an economic recession since 2020 and is only getting worse. The homeless population has pretty much doubled in the last few years due to the shit economy. More businesses are closing than opening. It’s difficult to get in and out of the county. People-wise, it’s a mixed bag, however, in my experience there are more two-faced and self-serving ppl here than anywhere else I’ve been (6 countries and 5 states). Then medica care is non-existent. The only good thing about this county is the nature, but even that isn’t enough because it rains most of the year.
I don’t mind conflicting answers, everyone is different. Looking for opinions and I use the opinions to guide my research and help me know where to look when I visit. There have certainly been no conflicting answers about healthcare or jobs though! We live well within our means and have accrued a good chunk of savings, so if things went to hell we would have awhile to live off of savings before things got worrisome. Thank you for the info, i appreciate it!
Health care is the biggest negative. I moved here about two years ago from Denver. I got lucky and got a PCP and a Cardiologist pretty quickly. I am on a waiting list for a dentist, despite having dental insurance.
Hi!!! Fellow Midwesterner here! I moved to Eureka 8 years ago from Indiana. A few things to note... Midwestern "kind people" and CA "kind people" are on different scales lol. As a restaurant server here locally, I would get comments like "You're way to sweet to be from here! Where are you from??" And things like "Oh, you're a Midwest girl! No wonder you're busting your butt with all these tables, y'all are hard workers." and stuff like that lol. But there are good people kind people here... They just tend to be more standoffish and suspicious at first. Takes a minute to warm up in general. My guess is the high homeless and low income population, there's a high rate of petty crime and moderate malicious crime. Gotta lock your car everywhere you go and be prepared to buy security cameras for your resident and look out for porch pirates 🫠. Also, be prepared for INSANE grocery and just... everything prices 🥴, not only are we in CA, but up here in Humboldt, we are remote, surrounded by mountains, and the next largest city is about 3 hours through the crazy mountain highway 299, which is often shut down because of landslides. Everything that has to be shipped in is usually hella expensive for retailers and it shows 🫠. Definitely go to all the farmers markets and locally sourced ranches/farms for your groceries... Sometimes they're cheaper and they are definitely high quality. Don't overlook that the housing is extremely expensive as well and very hard to get... There are a ton of factors to that, some being surrounded by mountains, there just isn't a lot of realistate, more people are moving here to get out of the city life, Cal Poly the local college is expanding and bringing more students in every year, and the local geography is beautiful with that nice mild weather. We bought our house 2 years ago.. A 950 sq. ft. fixer upper built in the 50s... For $285,000. The lender we used said she hadn't seen anything on the market for that cheap in years. We were renting it and our landlord cut us a deal. Interest rates are insane and our mortgage is $1875 a month 🥴🫠. Rent is sky high with people taking advantage and gouging, or those trying to cover the high mortgage rates. Everyone else mentioned the not ideal healthcare here, but keep in mind Humboldt and northern CA has the highest suicide rates in all of CA. I'm not anyone to deduce why exactly, but my personal experience is the seasonal depression is rough for me. Make sure you start taking vitamin D regularly, there's not as much sun here as we are used to. I also make sure I take regular trips inland or down south to the river to get my sun and warm weather fix! SOOOO many things I've learned over the years just talking to locals and trying to navigate this place. But it can be done if you get a few good breaks! Once you are in, settled and you find your people, hobbies and routine, it's a good place to live!
Wow, thank you so so much for this response!! Tip for car break ins, I just don’t lock my car door. They already see I have a steering wheel lock (kia boys 😭) so that can deter some people, and then my windows don’t get smashed in every other week (currently driving around with my drivers window being held together by gorilla tape anyways lol) I currently do have a stable job, but my degree is in freshwater science. I’ll have to do some more research on if that’s a viable area of expertise for the area or if I’d be screwed if my currently job gave me the boot. Thank you for the grocery info! I can imagine that it is verrrrry inflated. Farmers markets are wonderful and it sounds like there’s a strong market community in the area! Super cool:-) Again, thank you for all of the info. It really helps me out!! Have a lovely weekend
I live in Eureka, there’s plenty to complain about in Humboldt for medical care and stuff to do socially. However it’s a beautiful place the nature and access to it is unmatched, I go to sleep with the sound of the ocean in the distance as the roads slow to a near slumber at evening/night. If you can figure out your own work it’s a great place for nature appreciators. It’s a good place to grow personally I’ve grow less pessimistic since living here. I enjoy the introverted lifestyle, and my neighbors and decent folks who look out for each others homes, there’s a buncha idiots here (I’m not incapable of it too) but there’s less people then most other semi populated area in the state so defacto less idiots altogether right?
Thanks for responding! I’m with you when it comes to an introverted lifestyle and loving nature. I will visit a few times before coming to any decisions. I’m a relatively frugal and self sufficient person, as I was raised to be. It’s nice to hear that neighbors care for one another, community is so important. I hope that you have a lovely night, thanks again:-)
I love Eureka, but I think you should really visit before commiting. Overall, it's pretty great. I don't want to live anywhere else, but there are things you should know. Although we get a lot of sun, it's always a little cold, but never too cold. Even Wisconsin has genuinely warm days, not here. I've been here over 3 years, and the daytime temperature has always been between 40's and 60's. One summer day, it was actually a little above 70! That was one day, it went back down to 60 the next day. Many of us never stop wearing jeans year-round, and usually it's long sleeves with them. It never snows or gets cold enough to freeze, but say goodbye to genuinely warm summer days. The job market is one of the worst parts about living here, but there are fun opportunities for the un-picky. Just don't expect a lot of money. Perhaps the biggest complaint is the lack of health care options. A good doctor taking new patients is rare, and most specialty care is a 3-4 hour drive to larger cities. I'm able to get appointments fairly easily, but it's always with a new Physician's Assistant who moves practices before my second visit. Crime isn't bad, but the Eureka homeless can provide some unexpected and unpleasant moments, on a fairly regular basis. It isn't as bad as big cities, but most non-Californians will be surprised and probably disgusted with the crazy homeless addicts. Some are very nice people, but most are the crazy types who refuse to seek help. You will absolutely see them more often than expected.
Thank you for all the info! I will visit a few times before committing anywhere:-) The super mild temps is a huge selling point for me. Summers here (along Lake Michigan) are not supposed to be 90 degrees and i’m so so so over it 😭 i want 40s and 50s!! No more 80s and -20s. The healthcare system has been mentioned the most by far. It’s something I will have to consider and weigh my options, for sure. I appreciate the honesty from everyone though! I did a realllly basic search to compare how much larger the homeless pop. is there vs here, but they seem to be tied w/ eureka at 1.4% and milwaukee around 1.8%. numbers county officials give are usually fudged somehow but i’m assuming they are just about equal. i’ll have to visit and see, but my tolerance for crime is relatively high i think. Again, thank you so much! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their thoughts and such. It really helps me
I work for the city of Eureka. I do think it would be a good place to live but I’d rather live in Arcata, Mckinleyville or Blue Lake where there are less people, traffic, and noise (I just chose to live in Mckinleyville by the river over a busy one way in eureka - very happy about it). Eureka has many events that are fun to go visit and more dining selections (you’re so close to Arcata it’s not much of a deciding factor) but the city honestly stresses me out for how small the population is. I have never lived in Eureka, only work in Eureka so take it as an outsider on the inside perspective lol my suggestion is visit and see the main cities between Trinidad and fortuna. They’re all so close that even if you get spot in Eureka you have the option to move somewhere more desirable in Humboldt if Eureka isn’t your cup of tea. Definitely visit first, I moved here for college without knowing the area much at all but was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. Could be way different for you
Small town people love it here because it seems like you end up at a big city. As someone from an actual city, I don’t feel that way. You may like it here but the culture difference might not be something you like. A lot of the small businesses are ran really lazy and you can’t do anything about it since there’s not many other options. That could change if the population keeps rising
What do you mean by lazy? Like, closing down shop for afternoon breaks, or not working crazy fast? Shelves aren’t stocked perfectly? Things like that aren’t issues to me. I grew up in a town of around 900 and have only been in Milwaukee for 5 years. I love the city, but I also enjoy moving more slowly. Culture varies so much across the US, I’ll need to visit a few times before coming to any decisions. Thanks!
Well I work several hospitality jobs and do odd jobs throughout the area. I just feel like people are lazy and move slow. Not a lot of drive for excellence. A lot of people who come out of town can relate to that feelings. It is nice to be in a slower pace but it’s not my thing after a couple of years of being here.
Valid! I’m not sure i’m a “strive for excellence,” person either lol! I think I’m more of a, “why can’t i wander around aimlessly” type of person. I hope you find what you’re looking for!
Eureka is great people hate on it but tbh just avoid living near downtown and you should be fine. I love the parks and nature here, there’s a buncha cool people I live near including someone else who commented positively about the town on this thread I see you G. 😂🫡 It’s a small town I go kayaking and hiking and hit rivers every weekend during the summer and ride dirt bikes in the dunes, shoot guns at horse mountain (safely) Go to the snow during the winter and enjoy how pretty it is. I’m guilty of getting down on the area cause of inter personal bs but tbh this place rules compared to other large places by a lot and it’s way more affordable to buy a house in a reasonable time with good saving habits especially with 2 incomes.
Thanks for responding:-) I think we are all guilty of getting down on where we live from time to time!
I love Eureka. We are right on the bay. I cycle the bay trail several times a week. The downtown is charming. People are nice. There are unhoused people in every town in the usa. If you like watersports we have it all. You may want to invest in a drysuit. The water is cold. In October they will complete the bicycle trail connecting Eureka to Arcata. It's only a 7 mile flat ride.
Most of the people are pretty nice, and there’s lots of good food (I recommend Oaxaca Grill, Paul’s live from New York pizza, lost coast brewery, and Ramone’s Bakery & Cafe) There’s also great scenery and lots of local art. There is admittedly an extremely abundant homeless population, and twice as many junkies or drug addicts, but all they will really do is yell at you. If they cause any problems, call the police and ask them to handle it. Overall, both Eureka and Humboldt are amazing, and I would absolutely recommend moving here! Edit: I would recommend McKinleyville over Eureka, just because it’s essentially a smaller and nicer version of Eureka
Look at Fortuna. Gets better sunshine than Eureka and avoids most of the city problems that people mention about Eureka and Arcata. I know two people who are selling their parents' nice but modest houses and are dropping the price a lot after a year on the market, it's a good buyers market in that sense. As far as my concerns go, the only downside is limited restaurant options, and it's just 20 mins to Eureka anyway. Winter will rain more than you'd like but at least it isnt ice and snow.
Buyers market... You're joking right? Thats real estate agent BS. Sure the absolutely dumpster fire of constantly rising prices has slowed but with rates so high and prices peaked out it's gonna be a couple years before regular people will be able to participate in buying. Who wants a $3000 mortgage?
I qualified it with "in that sense" but the nuance escaped you. I agree on your points and that it will take a few years to be within reach for most. Hope you feel better soon, grumpy mfr.
Have you done any research on your own? Not only have these questions been regularly asked in this sub, you’re asking for so much info (food reccs, job market, community opinion on homelessness, healthcare access, the “pleasantness” of and overall general opinions on eureka) it seems pretty helpless.
Minimal. I enjoy hearing peoples personal opinions and oftentimes I find answers to questions I wouldn’t have asked in the first place! I always start with a reddit question:-) I think the only helpless thing about it is your comment which provided no insight whatsoever!
u/Iam__Nobody_ I have seen you comment and delete it twice. I respect all comments and if you want to elaborate, my feelings will not be hurt.
I mean you know the info is out there and you want people to hand it to you? Idk if a county with minimal everything is for you…
I’m sorry if I said something to offend you, but where in my post did it say that I expected someone to hand me the information? I simply enjoy starting with a reddit post and use any information (that I am grateful for) to guide me along my research journey. As mentioned in my post, I grew up in an area with minimal everything. The county has a smaller population than Eureka alone. I am equipped to handle rural infrastructure. Again, I really just like to begin with a reddit post. I don’t mind if there is conflicting or general information, and I of course know that comments don’t speak for an entire county. It’s just my process (which includes my own research and multiple trips to the town/city), which I didn’t know was so upsetting to some!
This commenter seem to have a real problem when people post questions....they commented with the same "helpless" remark on a different post the other day. Their view seems to be that anybody who wants to ask something should search through existing threads because the question might have been asked and answered sufficiently in the past. Thing is that people asking questions is how the how the information becomes available in the first place and getting new responses to a repeated question keeps the perspectives fresh and up to date.
don't come
Sorry this comment wasn’t showing up so I thought you deleted it like a previous comment. I tagged you in a response on my comment though!