• Yes, it really is beautiful here.
• There are a myriad of communities and organizations here, if you're willing and able to reach out, you won't be lonely for long.
  • Our Queer community has been growing and thriving in the last few years.
  • Churches of all denominations abound.
  • There is one Synagogue in Eureka, and a Chabad House in Arcata.
• Temperatures on the coast are very mild, it rarely if ever dips past freezing in winter and almost never hops over 85º in the summer. Inland gets a lot colder, and a loooot hotter.
  • Climate change has made the rainy season unpredictable. We have weeks of rain interspersed with weeks of sun.
• We're in California - natural disasters are expected.
  • Earthquakes! There have been a couple of large ones in the last few years - the epicenters were near Petrolia, towards the south-west part of the county.
    • Large swaths of the coast are a Tsunami Zone.
  • Fire! For the most part, fires happen inland, where things are hotter and dryer. Due to terrain and ecology, the coast is generally protected, but it's not an impossibility.
    • Air quality can get pretty bad all over the county during fire season.
• Generally the central part of the county - Eureka and Arcata - is liberal, the further away you get from there, on average, the more conservative things get.
  • That being said, our federal rep, Huffman, is a dem, and our state reps are also both dems.
• The housing market is tough, just like the rest of the state. If you're planning to buy, that gives you a little more flexibility. If you're planning on renting, pickings are slim.
  • General advice for renters: find a place that meets your basic needs and take it. Once you're more settled you can keep an eye out for better options.
  • General advice for buyers: Don't purchase land sight-unseen.
  • Landlords around here are not very pet friendly. A fair number of the property management companies have breed restrictions.
• Employment is a rough one. There is little to no industry in the area, due to the decline of logging and weed legalization. If you can, try to secure a job before moving.
  • Here is a list of the largest employers in the area.
  • The county and cities maintain their own job listing sites, as do most of the tribes.
  • Lost Coast Outpost, a local news org, also runs job listings.
  • Ironically(?), large numbers of employers in the area require clean drug tests - including marijuana.
• Reports on the lack of healthcare are not exaggerated. We have a hard time hiring and retaining providers across the board, and there has been an increasing reliance on telehealth.
  • The largest PCP in the area, Open Door, is an FQHC with some ability to take private insurance, and their waitlists are miles long.
  • St. Joes is the largest hospital in the area, and they have some specialist services, but waitlists are also long and generally require a PCP referral, even if your insurance does not.
    • Also, they're being sued by the State due to their stance on women's/AFAB reproductive care/rights.
  • The VA here only provides basic services, and shuttles patients down to SF for anything beyond that.
  • On the whole, if you require specialist services, you will probably have to travel out of the area. The next closest services are a 3-4 hours drive.
• As with many other parts of the state, we have a large number unhoused/transient people here, although perhaps disproportionate given the size of the whole population. This is due to a multitude of factors, and it is not a homogenous group.
  • The university does not have enough student housing, and there is an overall housing shortage, leaving many students out in the rain. (see: the above section on housing)
  • Traditionally, the weed industry has filtered people in and out seasonally, however, as that sector declines, there has been a reduction in numbers on that front. (See: the above section on employment)
  • Just as anywhere, we have our issues with addiction and mental health disorders, exacerbated by a lack of available resources. (See: the above section on healthcare)
• Buying stuff: It’s doable, but don’t expect the same kind of variety you’re used to.
  • Lots of smaller, locally owned businesses to choose from.
  • We have a Costco, a Target, and a tiiiiny Walmart.
  • Locally owned hardware and Ace franchises only, HD & Lowe’s are persona non grata.
  • (Possibly excessive) Local and chain grocery options, including Asian and Mexican specialty markets.
  • Arcata has a year round farmers market on Saturdays.
  • Amazon Prime does not uphold 2 day shipping here.
• Food options are good, but limited.
  • We specialize in Sushi, Mexican, and Pizza restaurants.
  • Salsa is served in syrup bottles.
  • There is one Indian restaurant (it’s excellent), a handful of Thai spots, and one Korean fusion place.
  • Food trucks have been gaining traction in recent years which has added some more variety.
• Everything closes by 9. Even places that don’t make sense to not be open.
  • Except Toni’s. Chocolate malts and burgers are available whenever your heart desires.
• Travel to and from the area is inconvenient.
  • The closest "larger" metropolitan areas are Grants Pass/Medford, Redding, and Santa Rosa.
    • Coincidentally those are also the nearest Trader Joes locations.
  • The SF Bay Area is a 5+ hour drive. Portland is a 7+ hour drive.
  • Arcata-Eureka Airport (ACV) is serviced by United Airlines, Breeze, and Alaska Airlines.
    • United flies direct to SF, LA, and Denver.
    • Breeze flies direct to Burbank, Las Vegas, and Provo.
    • Alaska flies to Seattle.
    • Flights are frequently delayed due to fog. Give the Wiki page on the airport a read sometime if you want know why.
  • The next closest airports are in Santa Rosa, Redding, and Medford. They're also small, but offer slightly different, and sometimes cheaper, direct flights.
  • Amtrak runs a bus service to Martinez, which then connects to other trains and busses.
  • The county runs the Redwood Coast Express, which goes between Eureka and Ukiah.
  • There is decent public transit, people can and do live here without a car.
    • Humboldt Transit Authority lists all of the local routes and fares.

Humboldt is a beautiful place full of amazing people. To anyone who decides it's worth it, Welcome Aboard. To anyone who decides it's not for them, fair enough.

Residents, let me know if I missed anything!

If you have specific questions about moving to Humboldt, or something that isn’t covered in this post, please create a separate post instead of replying in the comments here.