Garberville, CA · standard
ZIP Code 95542
Humboldt County, California — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,533
- 5/sq mi
- $46,104
- Median income
- $395,500
- Median home value
- 29.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Garberville pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 10th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 21%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 5
- people per sq mi
- 67%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 95542 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 95542 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 516.9 square miles in Garberville, Humboldt County, California. The area is home to 2,533 residents, producing a population density of 5 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 95542 against California and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 95542 sits at $46,104 (55% below the California average), while per-capita income is $27,030. The poverty rate stands at 32.5% and the unemployment rate at 2.5%. On housing, the median home value is $395,500 (49% below the state average) with median rent at $1,332 per month, and 66.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 95542 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 29.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.8, and the average commute is —. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Humboldt County, so you can benchmark 95542 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 95542
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 95542.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
24 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
16 establishments
- Wholesale trade 5
Wholesale trade
5 establishments
- Finance and insurance 5
Finance and insurance
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 5
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 95542, Garberville, CA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
2,533
Population
516.9
Area (sq mi)
5
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 95542?
48.8
Median Age
49.9%
Male
50.1%
Female
2.6%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$46,104
Median Household Income
-55% vs state
$27,030
Per Capita Income
32.5%
Poverty Rate
2.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 95542 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$46,104 10th percentile higher than 10% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
1,414
Total Housing Units
1,202
Occupied Units
212
Vacant Units
2.04
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$395,500
Median Home Value
-49% vs state
$1,332
Median Rent
1976
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+4.9%
YoY Change (2022)
286
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+186%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 95542 have increased 4.9% over the past year (2022). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +186% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | -8.6% | 213 |
| 2019 | +8.1% | 230 |
| 2020 | -2.2% | 225 |
| 2021 | +21.1% | 273 |
| 2022 | +4.9% | 286 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2022. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 76 business establishments in ZIP 95542, employing approximately 552 people with a combined annual payroll of $25,439,000.
76
Businesses
552
Employees
$25.4M
Annual Payroll
11
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 24 | 31.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 16 | 21.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 6.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 5 | 6.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5 | 6.6% |
| Construction | 3 | 4.0% |
| Information | 3 | 4.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 3 | 4.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 4.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 4.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3 | 4.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 95542 vs 95560 →
ZIP 95542 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 95542
Garberville (95542)
2,533 residents
- 95560
Redway (95560)
1,648 residents
- 95587 201
Piercy (95587)
201 residents
- 95559 182
Phillipsville (95559)
182 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 95542 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
More ZIP Codes in Humboldt County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Garberville, CA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.