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Etna vs Point Arena

181 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (11× in Etna) and property tax bill (2.4× in Point Arena).

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Etna, CAHomes around $281KCalifornia · 642 people
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Point Arena, CAA history townCalifornia · 789 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

EtnaHomes around $281K
Housing$281K typical home63% below the CA typical home Work279 jobsbased in Etna, a regional job hub All about Etna →
Point ArenaA history town
HistorySettled in 190812 places on the National Register SchoolsBetter than 29%of CA districts Housing$562K typical home27% below the CA typical home All about Point Arena →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid11×
Etna has the more walkable street grid
Etna 105Point Arena 9.5
Property tax bill2.4×
Tax bills are bigger in Point Arena
Point Arena $3,667Etna $1,544
Home values2×
Homes cost more in Point Arena
Point Arena $436,000Etna $221,200
Age 65++16.3 pts
Etna has more people 65 and up
Etna 28.2%Point Arena 11.9%
Trails2.1×
Etna has more miles of trail
Etna 8.0 miPoint Arena 3.8 mi
Conserved land+12.7 pts
Point Arena has more conserved land
Point Arena 15.1%Etna 2.4%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,700 more a month in Point Arena

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Etna$1,640/mo
Typical home $281K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.70% · or rent about $859/mo · Housing →
Point Arena$3,340/mo
Typical home $562K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $1,917/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,700 a month, about $20,400 a year, between Point Arena and Etna.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
BEtnaBetter than 57% of districts in the state CPoint ArenaBetter than 29% of districts in the state
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
EtnaPoint Arena
Snow a year4″—
January low28°F—
July high90°F—
Growing season (days)135d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)99th83rd
Outdoors & history
EtnaPoint Arena
Trails8 mi4 mi
Conserved land2.4%15.1%
Settled18781908
National Register places—12
Archive photos718
Community
EtnaPoint Arena
Library hours a week26 hrs39 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

181 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

EtnaCAPoint ArenaCA
Etna ↔ Point Arena181 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

EtnaPoint Arena
People
Population 642Lowest 789Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8% CA: +6.1% —
Median age 48.7±11.5Highest 28% above CA 36.5±5.4Lowest 4% below CA
Etna and Point Arena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 12.9%±9.3Lowest CA: 22% 28.4%±6.5Highest CA: 22%
Point Arena and Etna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 28.2%±6.7Highest CA: 15.7% 11.9%±5.7Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.2%Highest CA: 37.1% 29.9%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.6%±4Highest CA: 7.6% 0%±2.5Lowest CA: 7.6%
Etna and Point Arena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $49,063±$24kLowest 51% below CA $108,095±$49kHighest 9% above CA
Point Arena and Etna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $221,200±$50kLowest 70% below CA $436,000±$21kHighest 41% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $859±$132Lowest 58% below CA $1,917±$954Highest 6% below CA
Point Arena and Etna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,544Lowest 70% below CA $3,667Highest 28% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 70.3%±16.9Highest CA: 55.3% 41.9%±13.8Lowest CA: 55.3%
Etna and Point Arena are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 18%Highest CA: 12% 10.1%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 61.2%Highest CA: 55.9% 51.7%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1961Lowest 15 yrs older than CA 1976Highest same as CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 24% below CA 19 minLowest 33% below CA
Work from home 4.1%±4.9Lowest CA: 17.2% 14.3%±8Highest CA: 17.2%
Point Arena and Etna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 14.8%Highest 11.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miLowest 19.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.59Highest 1.48Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Yreka (14%)Manchester (6%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Point ArenaFew work in Etna
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.4%Lowest 15.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 8.0 miHighest 3.8 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 10.0 miHighest 2.7 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 105Highest 9.5Lowest
Schools
School district Scott Valley UnifiedArena Union Elementary · Point Arena Joint Union High
High school in town Etna Union HighPoint Arena High
Students per teacherat that high school 13.0Highest 10.5Lowest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Etna neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 6d

Missing Local Spots

1 neighbor in Etna can answer.

Point Arena neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Point Arena’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Etna

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Dunsmuir1,407 people · $279K homes
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Tehama366 people · $319K homes
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Fort Jones562 people · $229K homes
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Dorris869 people · $155K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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