2026 Compare Cities Economy:
Pasadena, CA vs Arcata, CA

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Highlights
- Household income in Arcata, is 56% less than it is in Pasadena and is 77% below the National Average.
- Pasadena unemployment rate is 9.0%.
- Arcata unemployment rate is 6.7%.
 Pasadena, CAArcata, CAUnited States
 Unemployment Rate  Unlock6.7%6.0%
 Recent Job Growth  Unlock0.9%1.6%
 Future Job Growth35.2%  Unlock33.5%
 Sales Taxes9.5%  Unlock6.2%
 Income Taxes  Unlock8.0%4.6%
 Income per Cap.$52,699  Unlock$37,638
 Household Income  Unlock$39,069$69,021
 Family Median Income$113,660  Unlock$85,028
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 Est. Households By Income
 Pasadena, CAArcata, CAUnited States
 Income Less Than 15K  Unlock21.2%9.4%
 Income between 15K and 20K2.7%  Unlock3.8%
 Income between 20K and 30K  Unlock17.2%8.1%
 Income between 30K and 40K5.3%  Unlock8.0%
 Income between 40K and 50K  Unlock7.2%7.6%
 Income between 50K and 60K5.5%  Unlock7.2%
 Income between 60K and 75K  Unlock5.8%9.6%
 Income between 75K and 100K12.4%  Unlock12.8%
 Income between 100K and 150K  Unlock14.5%16.3%
 Income between 150K and 200K10.7%  Unlock7.8%
 Income greater than 200K  Unlock3.1%9.5%
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 Population By Occupation
 Pasadena, CAArcata, CAUnited States
 Management, business, finance21.5%  Unlock16.4%
 Engineering, computers, science  Unlock7.1%6.5%
 Community, social services2.1%  Unlock1.8%
 Legal  Unlock0.6%1.2%
 Education, library8.7%  Unlock6.2%
 Arts, design, media, sports, entertainment  Unlock4.1%2.0%
 Healthcare practitioners and technology6.3%  Unlock6.2%
 Healthcare support  Unlock4.9%3.3%
 Firefighters, law enforcement1.6%  Unlock2.1%
 Food preparation, serving  Unlock10.0%5.4%
 Building maintenance5.0%  Unlock3.6%
 Personal care  Unlock3.4%2.6%
 Sales, office, administrative support16.6%  Unlock20.9%
 Farming, fishing, forestry  Unlock0.9%0.6%
 Construction, extraction, maintenance/repair3.7%  Unlock8.1%
 Production, transportation, material moving  Unlock14.1%13.1%
Reviews for Pasadena    19 Reviews

Pasadena is a little slice of the world in the foothills above the San Gabriel Valley. It has everything you could want. Check out my video on the cost of living in  More

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Over 11 years ago

The weather in Pasadena, CA is rather pleasant. It does not get cold here, it used to be around the first two weeks of December it could go down to 32-28 F, only a few  More

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Over 12 years ago

Great place to live for all ages and enjoy mostly sunny  More

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Reviews for Arcata    17 Reviews

Pros: Nature hikes Cons: One of highest crime rates in the nation. Opioid epidemic going on (you’ll regularly witness drug deals and ppl doing drugs) No  More

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It takes a special set of preferences to select Arcata. Is this you? - You love clouds and fog. You are happy if you see the sun maybe 10-20 times a year. - Chilly  More

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Over 12 years ago

I've lived in Humboldt for over 30 yrs and know all the areas well. Arcata is the jewel of Humboldt due to having a university and many liberal creative people. There is  More

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