Arcata is a somewhat small coastal city (ie. on the ocean or tidally-influenced rivers) located in the state of California. With a population of 16,714 people and four constituent neighborhoods, Arcata is the 338th largest community in California.

Unlike some cities where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Arcata is neither predominently one or the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Arcata is a city of professionals, sales and office workers, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Arcata who work in office and administrative support jobs (13.11%), teaching (11.43%), and sales jobs (10.16%).

Arcata is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped Arcata to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.

Arcata, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.

The city is also nautical, which means that parts of Arcata are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and tidal rivers. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

Residents of the city have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 15.09 minutes getting to work every day.

As is often the case in a small city, Arcata doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.

Arcata Information and Demographics

The education level of Arcata citizens is very high relative to the national average among all cities (14.96%): 41.61% of adults in Arcata have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Arcata in 2000 was $15,531, which is lower middle income relative to California and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $62,124 for a family of four.

Arcata is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Arcata home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Arcata is White, followed by Native American. Important ancestries of people in Arcata include German, Irish, English, Italian, European, Scottish, Portuguese, Scotch-Irish, Swedish, Norwegian, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Arcata is English. Some people also speak Spanish.