What it's like to live in Fortuna
Fortuna is a small city in California with rent below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fortuna deals with household incomes below the national average, a population that has been shrinking, larger class sizes than the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Shrinking population
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Fortuna compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fortuna
Based on Fortuna's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,336
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,720 a year
- 47% of Fortuna renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$75,940
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $37,970
- Homes cost 6.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 17% below US
$1,168/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,168 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $379,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $379,700 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Humboldt County is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Humboldt County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 44% below US
183 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1356/100k · Fortuna Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 70°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 42°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 31% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Redwood National and State Parks (55 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Fortuna's strongest points are rent below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($1,168/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Fortuna
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