ZIP Code 95521

ZIP code 95521 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 139.0 square miles in Arcata, Humboldt County, California. The area is home to 20,199 residents, producing a population density of 145 people per square mile, and falls within the Los Angeles time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 95521 against California and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 95521 sits at $53,114 (48% below the California average), while per-capita income is $33,368. The poverty rate stands at 24.4% and the unemployment rate at 11.0%. On housing, the median home value is $501,000 (35% below the state average) with median rent at $1,336 per month, and 40.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 95521 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 46.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 29.2, and the average commute is 18 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Humboldt County, so you can benchmark 95521 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →