Fortuna is home to 12,326 people in California. Households here earn about 37% less than in California as a whole. About 25% of adults have finished a four-year degree. There are 2,347 people per square mile. 56% of homes are owner-occupied. Growth has run 17% since 2000, or 1,829 more people.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $62,289, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 68%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Fortuna
What changed most since 1990
White share90.8% → 61.2%(−29.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Hispanic share6.0% → 26.7%(+20.7 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Poverty rate12.0% → 18.2%(+6.2 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Fortuna's population equals 9.2% of Humboldt County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 21% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 6.8% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)13.8%(90)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.4%(152)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era44.6%(290)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.5%(16)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.5%(23)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 650 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Fortuna, decade by decade
Fortuna population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
8,650
$57,266
$199,926
11.7%
21.5
2000
10,497
$56,706
$226,614
14.1%
37.3
2010
11,926
$55,690
$435,024
19.9%
51.0
2020
12,516
$55,784
$339,613
21.4%
61.6
2024
12,326
$62,289
$379,700
24.8%
68.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
