Eureka Apartment Rates (San Francisco, Arcata, McKinleyville: apartments, wage , rental)

[Geyser27]

What are the going rates for apartments in Eureka or the surrounding areas? I have looked online and have found almost nothing about the rates in this area of California.

[TheDragonslayer]

Here is a link to the Times Standard. I saw $850 on the first rental in the classifieds section.home - Times-Standard Online

[NorthernCalifornia]

look at humboldt.craigslist.org

that's the higher end.

[Guevera]

Why Eureka? While it's a great town for meth abuse and welfare fraud, and had a decent punk rock scene at one point, I can't imagine anyone who isn't already familiar with the area wanting to move there. Word to the wise -- avoid any city where the largest landmark is the county jail.

All that said, I miss it every day.

Prices have gotten a little off the hook there in recent years, though less in Eureka than elsewhere in the area. Depending on what you're looking for, you can pay as little as 300-400 month or as much as 1000 for an apartment.

In Eureka there are very few areas that are "nice" in the conventional sense. I loved living in old town, it's the only part of town with any character at all. Avoid the south end of town entirely.

The Cutten area is somewhat close to the sort of suburbia you'll find in other, regular towns (you know, places that have a functioning economy and lack the whole depression and pathos thing). But the problem with Eureka is that the ration of dope fiends, white trash, and general scumbags is alarmingly high wherever you go. There are lots of neighborhoods like that in most cities -- places where one block is "nice" and the next is totally ghetto. But that's all of Eureka...

The same is true for all of Humboldt County -- but the rest of the area has some advantages to make up for it. Arcata's wonderful, if you can get past the rapid rate of gentrification that's destroying everything good and holy about it, and the sometimes really annoying psuedo-liberal neo-hippie vibe

As far as finding places -- Craigslist, the Times-Standard and the Eureka Reporter are all decent sources for rental listings. But I'd recommend checking out the Tri-City weekly and the Humboldt Trader in person, then go to the bulletin boards at the Co-op grocery story on corner of 8th & I in Arcata. Also the web page of the Arcata Eye (america's favorite obscure small town newspaper...)

If you need, check out the HSU student housing office webpage to find a decent temporary rental while you find a long term place. Humboldt county in general is filled with lots of rooms rentals, mother in law units, forest cabins, and other cool spots that don't involve property management companies and classified ads. It's worth it to find a way to take advantage of them.

Got any other questions, feel free to email me: aidianholder (at) gmail (dot) com.

Rant over, enjoy Humboldt!

[Geyser27]

I gotta look for rates in that area because of a job position possibly becoming available to me. I was up there from March 23 to the 25th and liked the area somewhat. Hard to really see beauty in the town when it's always gloomy but cold weather doesn't bother me. 2 things that I didn't like were the radio stations and the people. From what I remember, most everyone in that town smokes or has that haggered look on their faces. I didn't know they were that into drugs up there though. Anyways thanks for the info.

[MakeHayNotBones]

Cost of living is high in the Eureka area. Unless you live close to work, expect to pay a fortune every week for your gas. The cleaner, safer areas to live are quite a few miles from most jobs in town. There aren't many jobs to speak of that pay well enough to live on, hence the overabundace of homeless people. Many of them turn to drugs to help cushion their lives against the cold wet miserable area. Others are just trying to land an extra job so they can rent an apt. Apartments avg $400.00 on up for the rundown areas. If you find a cheaper one the odds are that the cost of heating it will be outrageous. (old and non-insulated). If you're lucky you'll find a landlord that will allow roomates to help buffer the bill.
Smokers used to have designated areas but now they are no longer welcome anywhere. You should be happy there now.
The fisheries are about the only good jobs around anymore. Expect to recieve miminum wage for your first few weeks and then expect to be laid off if you don't make the cut. If you do make the cut (are fast and effecient) then you can make a better than decent wage per hour. However, they don't work every day or even every week, which brings the living wage back down to not much.

Good luck and happy hunting.

[TheDragonslayer]

Ouch!! You all make Humboldt county sound depressing and oppressing at the same time. I have lived here in the county since 1992 and in McKinleyville since 2000. I am a gardener with my own business and I am never without work. Jobs are indeed scarce here, but if one has any kind of training or significant higher education, you would be better qualified for many of the jobs here over many of the locals that only have training in traditional Humboldt jobs; logging, fishing, farming and ranching. Logging and fishing are pretty much non existent anymore. The county is growing and many businesses keep coming in. We had a Target built in Eureka and there is talk of a Home Depot for Fortuna. McKinleyville is experiencing rapid growth, it has more than doubled in 15 years, and so are the towns of Fortuna and the outskirts of Eureka and Arcata. And, it is not always gloomy here, maybe a little more than Fort Bragg or San Francisco at the worst. On May 15th of last month we hit 100 here in McKinleyville and at least 94 in Eureka, admittedly it does not always do that, but it does get in the 70's and 80's even, especially in late summer and early fall. The cost of living supplies is higher here; an example, milk is $4.49 a gallon, gas is $4.59 a gallon. But we have clean air and water and most every town has a farmers market, a parade or a rodeo. The distance from Fortuna to McKinleyville is about 25 miles and that is pretty much the breadth of the Humboldt bay area proper. I know of apartments in my neighborhood that go for under $800 for 2 bedrooms and homes for $1000 a month. There are some nice parts of Eureka as well as the bad areas, it is not all bad. Eureka has about the largest selection of victorian homes and Craftsman style homes around. It is easy to see which neighborhoods are not nice. Cutten and Myrtle Town are much nicer then Eureka, even though they are technically attached. Arcata is only 6 miles from Eureka to the north and Fortuna is about the same distance to the south, McKinleyville is 12 miles north. There might be 90,000 people in all of Humboldt bay region and only 130,000 in the whole county. Just my 2¢.

[eureka1]

This is like the seven blind men and the elephant:everyone sees a part of the picture.
I live in Cutten where we don't even lock our doors, but I sure would if I lived in Old Town or Arcata. Bev at Coldwell Banker Cutten is straightup and could find you something. Also try Consolidated Management. Avoid Madsen (so I am told.) Good luck with your move!.