More extremely low-income residents in Humboldt County spend more than half of their income on housing than in any other county in California north of Sonoma, according to new statistics released by the California Housing Partnership.

85% of extremely low-income (ELI) households here are spending more than half of their income on housing. Though other counties in the “North State” area, as the CHP defines Butte, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Sierra, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties, also spend a disproportionate amount of money on housing costs, Humboldt’s ELI residents are the hardest-hit. 

Butte County is second, with 82% of their ELI population paying more than half of their income on housing costs. Sierra County is last; only 43% of their ELI households spend that much.

Additionally, 94% of Humboldt’s very low-income households are spending more than 30% of their income on paying for housing — a higher percentage than the ELI households, at 88%. Seven other counties in the North State follow this pattern. 

California’s department of Housing and Community Development defines an ELI household as one that makes between 15-30% of the Area Median Income, though that percentage changes with how many people live in the household. A very-low income household earns between 30-50% of an area’s median. Humboldt’s median household income is $93,900, but a single person living alone making between $19,750 and $32,900 a year would be considered extremely low-income. 

Humboldt’s median rent of $1,272 per month isn’t the most expensive, although it comes close. Sierra and Nevada counties’ monthly rent of $1,350 is the highest in the region.

Check out data from other counties here.