The average price of a home in Eureka is $207,000,compared to $569,000 in the town which takes the No 1 spot on the happy list, Salt Spring BC/ Eureka is still considerably cheaper than Creston, CO, number ten on the Happy list and one of the main off-grid centres in the USA. In Creston the average home is $250,000.
Eureka, on the Redwood Highway in Humboldt County, has a population of about 36,000, except during cannabis harvesting when it grows to about 70,000.
Here’s the full list of the happiest places to go off-grid:
Salt Spring Island, B.C. (population 10,000; median house price: $569,300) for wannabe farmers/gardeners. The 74-square-mile island’s temperate climate makes year-round gardening possible.
Salt Lake City (population: 182,000; median house price $213,000) for aspiring entrepreneurs. Low corporate tax rates and an educated workforce, among other factors, make this an attractive spot to start a business. But don’t try to sleep in your car.
Taos, N.M. (population 5,500; median house price $268,250) for those seeking a vacation home. Year-round recreation and limited housing makes this a good bet for buying a shanty on the Mesa.
Portland, Ore. (population 582,000; median house price $233,500) for people who prefer to go car-less. The city has a vibrant cycling culture with 300 miles of dedicated bike paths and lanes. There are a number of hidden off-grid enclaves.
Bellingham, Wash. (population 77,500; median house price $305,000) for outdoor recreationists. With 143 miles of Puget Sound shoreline in one direction and the Cascade Mountains in the other, there’s a beautiful view outside every cabin.
Eureka, Calif. (population 25,000; median house price $207,000) for aspiring artists. Art is taken seriously in a town that’s home to more than 1,000 artists. Home is where the Art is.
San Diego (population 1.37 million; median house price $330,000) for innovators. From pioneering computer technology to decoding the human genome, all kinds of cutting-edge endeavors are happening here. How it made this list is beyond us.
Sonoma County, Calif. (population 472,000; median house price $484,000) for gourmands. With more than 300 wineries and a plethora of great restaurants, the area is millionaire’s paradise.
Scottsdale, Ariz. (population 235,000; median house price $270,000) for parents of young kids. Low crime, good schools and lots of park land make it a good choice for raising a solar-powered family.
Crestone, Colo. (population 146 (real population 2000); median house price $250,000) especially designed for people who want to live off the grid. With 330 sunny days a year, this former mining town is a hotbed of solar power.
4 Responses
nope not the TV series that is for sure. I have lived in Eureka my whole life as well and I am now 41. I have spent many summers enjoying this area. Humboldt County is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and it is second to no place. I disagree with the more negative slant on our area from “CP” but i do agree that the influx of 70 thousand people at Harvest is ridiculous. Anyway these days, most is grown indoors or in Greenhouses…except for the Mexican Cartel who grow garbage weed. If the Grower was not raised here, in this culture and climate, then the grower can not grow proper Humboldt Home Grown. as for jobs, there are lots of jobs to be had, just dont come here thinking you will get work in our Lumber Mills or Fishing Industry, those 2 industries are rapidly dying. But with that, we have lots of New Industry being created. This is a very artistic community. Lots of local Music, Local Art, Films, etc. our medical industry in in a huge upswing and there are medical professional coming to this area daily. Lots personal niches too for New business ideas as well as Money&Investors looking for a great Industry to bring to Eureka. There is a big upswing of creative ideas for the future sustainable energy companies as well…and yes we Grow the best Marijuana in the World…Bold Statement you say? I dont think so, Ive traveled all over the world and Humboldt County California Grows the Best…Indoor, Outdoor, Light Dep, Hydroponic, you name if it is in our area, our air, our soil, our community, our consciousness…it is the Best Smoke in the World. (cannabis cup in Amsterdam 3yrs in a row, was a joke in comparison, sorry folks. Honestly, those boys over there are scared of us!)
I am getting the impression this is not the Eureka
we know from that TV series ;)
In happy spots in the Midwest?
Who the hell did this study? I’ve lived in Eureka for years as with about 6 generations of family. They would like to have a word with whomever wrote this piece. It’s cheap assuming you have a ton of money to begin with. Unemployment is the highest in the state and very few skilled jobs to be had unless one likes to work in fast food or the mall. The University is famous for training people how to find work anywhere but here. Also, the population is 28,000 with outlying unincorporated areas equalling about another 24,000. There is no massive influx that pushes it to 70,000. The pot growers are all local boys, except for the cartels that have been permeating over the last several years.
Healthcare is atrocious if you need traumatic or care for conditions requiring more than general surgeries. Most car accident people get airlifted well over 100 miles away. And then there is the rampant meth and heroin problem that will give any big city a run for it’s money. I know many people that have left because there are simply too many social ills to overcome.
However, if you’re an outdoorsy, artistic type, this may be your niche. But it’s a hard life here, especially in the winter when the tourists and their money disappear.