Arcata, CA vs South Pasadena, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Arcata

65.5

#1626 nationally

South Pasadena

63.6

#1760 nationally

South Pasadena leads in median household income ($127,882 vs $43,444). South Pasadena leads in crime level (5.8 vs 13.9). Arcata leads in cost of living index (133 vs 228).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Arcata, CA	South Pasadena, CA
WhereAtHome Score	65.5 (#1626)	63.6 (#1760)
Population	19,012	25,623
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$480,134	$1,707,701
Median Household Income	$43,444	$127,882
Average Commute	18.4 min	30.6 min
Walk Score	48	67
Crime Level	13.9	5.8
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	133	228
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+28.4	D+32.9