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Cost of living, pay and housing

40.04° N · 124.06° W · GEOID 0671372

Shelter Cove

Humboldt County, California · part of the Eureka, CA metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

CaliforniaShelter Cove, CAShelter CoveShelter Cove

The short answer

Shelter Cove is home to 543 people. Median household income is $44,444 a year and median rent is $1,287 a month, 34.7% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $450,300, about 10.1x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,287
6% below the median place
Median household income
$44,444
45% below the median place
Median home value
$450,300
41% above the median place
Unemployment
9.0%
84% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Shelter Cove

  • Households average 1.65 people, smaller than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 655 California places.
  • Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 630 California places.
  • The median home is worth 10.1 years of the median household's income, more than in 99% of places its size.
  • 52% of homes stand vacant, more than in 98% of places its size.
  • The median rent takes 34.7% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 98% of places its size.
01

Moving to Shelter Cove

Humboldt County loses about 8.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in3,644
Moved out4,433
Net−789

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$53K
Leavers$51K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Humboldt County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Humboldt County report $53,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $51,200.
Income you would need
$51,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,287 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,500 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $450,300.
Getting to work
19 minutes each way on average; 13.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Lincoln City, OR matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving out6
$51,183
27% below the median place
Income of households moving in6
$53,320
24% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureShelter CoveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.6%15% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure-8.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$53,32024% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$51,18327% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 0.0%, below the median place (median 50.6%).

Shelter Cove34.7%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$51,480
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
34.7%
70% above the median place
Home price to income
10.1x
167% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
35%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$28,600
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Shelter Cove, $1,287 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Shelter Cove.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Shelter Cove? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
Vacant homes1
51.6%
above the median place (median 7.1%)
Median year built1
1997
1% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureShelter CoveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,2876% below
Rent to income134.7%70% above
Property tax rate10.9%2% above
Home price to income110.1x167% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,5544% below
HUD area median income3County figure$85,70020% below
Property tax paid (median)1$4,16728% above
Median home value1$450,30041% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure-0.2%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure34.4%33% below
Homeownership181.5%23% above
Renters paying 30%+10.0%below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,50034% above
Vacant homes151.6%above (median 7.1%)
Median year built119971% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$44,444
45% below the median place
Poverty rate1
24.9%
131% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureShelter CoveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$44,44445% below
Income per person1$32,20720% below
Unemployment1County figure9.0%84% above
Average annual pay5County figure$57,49213% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.1%11% above
Jobs5County figure52,25165% below
Poverty rate124.9%131% above
Mean commute1County figure19 min24% below
Works from home1County figure13.0%4% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 62.0%, 33% below the median place.

Homes with broadband1
62.0%
33% below the median place
Household size1
1.6
34% below the median place
Median age1
49.7
27% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureShelter CoveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15436646th largest
Median age149.727% above
Bachelor's or higher119.2%40% below
High school or higher195.0%3% above
Household size11.634% below
Born abroad1County figure6.2%30% below
No health insurance1County figure4.9%23% below
Homes with broadband162.0%33% below
05

Life in Shelter Cove

59 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars25.0 +20%
Shops39.0 +29%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.8 +17%
Doctors' offices and clinics16.4 −19%
Child care centers3.9 +70%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Child care centers per 10k7
3.9
70% above the median place
Shops per 10k7
39.0
29% above the median place
Public schools9
89
above the median place (median 9)
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureShelter CoveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure89above (median 9)
Public school students9County figure17,175251% above
Students per teacher9County figure18.721% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure25.020% above
Shops per 10k7County figure39.029% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.817% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure16.419% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure3.970% above
National Register listings8County figure59354% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Tornado risk is 7.9, 90% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Shelter Cove. Larger places are fetched first.

Tornado risk11
7.9
90% below the median place
Annual precipitation10
61.7 in
41% above the median place
July average high10
81°F
6% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureShelter CoveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure81°F6% below
January average low10County figure38°F49% above
Average temperature10County figure54°F1% below
Annual precipitation10County figure61.7 in41% above
Natural hazard risk11County figure96.85% above
Tornado risk11County figure7.990% below
Wildfire risk11County figure95.556% above
Heat wave risk11County figure47.348% below
Median air quality index12County figure3812% below
Good air days12County figure78.1%14% above
08

Shelter Cove in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$44,444 (2024)$56,000$47,500 to $66,500+4.0%
Median home value$450,300 (2024)$615,000$446,000 to $847,000+5.3%

The median home would be worth 11.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 10.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Shelter Cove

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Lincoln City, OR$1,314$56,635Compare
Fort Bragg, CA$1,290$56,481Compare
Chino Valley, AZ$1,248$61,237Compare
Jackson, CA$1,429$70,239Compare
Jackson, CAChino Valley, AZFort Bragg, CALincoln City, ORShelter Cove, CAShelter CoveLincoln CityChino ValleyJacksonShelter CoveLincoln CityChino ValleyJackson

Common questions

Is Shelter Cove a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Households average 1.65 people, smaller than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-lowest of 655 California places. Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 630 California places. On cost, space and class size it scores 2 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Shelter Cove expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 34.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $450,300.

What salary do you need to live in Shelter Cove?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $51,480 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Shelter Cove?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Lincoln City, OR, Fort Bragg, CA, Chino Valley, AZ and Jackson, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  12. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Shelter Cove with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Shelter Cove itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/shelter-cove-california

Citytistics. “Shelter Cove, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/shelter-cove-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.