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.

Down paymentRate%

Blythe$1,280/mo

Typical home $217K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $938/mo · Housing →

Oroville$1,820/mo

Typical home $308K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $1,093/mo · Housing →

The difference: $540 a month, about $6,500 a year, between Oroville and Blythe.

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

Oroville places higher on 13 of 23 CA lists

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.

Safety

CBlytheSafer than 26% of U.S. towns D−OrovilleSafer than 2% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−BlytheBetter than 49% of districts in the state C−OrovilleBetter than 21% of districts in the state

Health

D−BlytheHealthier than 5% of U.S. towns C−OrovilleHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns

9Blythe

13Oroville

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #796#37 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #433#38 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #420#830 SafestSafety · 411 towns #234#401 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #551#328 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #739#504 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #829#594 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #778#562

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Blythe’s rankings →

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

BlytheOroville

Snow a year0″—

January low40°F —

July high110°F —

Growing season (days)325d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th 65th

Outdoors & history

BlytheOroville

Trails10 mi 10 mi

Conserved land5.9%3.8%

Settled1916 —

National Register places—5

Archive photos30 16

Famous people born here—18

Community

BlytheOroville

Library hours a week36 hrs —

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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

557 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BlytheCA OrovilleCA

Blythe ↔ Oroville557 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.

Only big differences vs California average

BlytheOroville

People

Population 17,396Lowest 19,752Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -12%Lowest CA: +6.1% +28.9%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 38.3±1.7Highest about the CA average 35.8±1.8Lowest 6% below CA

Blythe and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 20.3%±2.5Lowest CA: 22% 23.7%±2.9Highest CA: 22%

Oroville and Blythe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 10.2%±1.6Lowest CA: 15.7% 14.8%±2Highest CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.5%Lowest CA: 37.1% 12.2%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 9%±1.3Highest CA: 7.6% 3.5%±1.3Lowest CA: 7.6%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $56,625±$12kHighest 43% below CA $52,270±$6kLowest 47% below CA

Blythe and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $225,000±$18kLowest 69% below CA $311,600±$15kHighest 58% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $938±$107Lowest 54% below CA $1,093±$60Highest 46% below CA

Oroville and Blythe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,830Lowest 64% below CA $2,521Highest 51% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.3%±9.9Lowest CA: 55.3% 56%±9.6Highest CA: 55.3%

Oroville and Blythe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 18.9%Lowest CA: 12% 21.4%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 57.3%Highest CA: 55.9% 53%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1980Highest 4 yrs newer than CA 1967Lowest 9 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 34% below CA 20 minHighest 31% below CA

Work from home 3.3%±2Lowest CA: 17.2% 7.5%±2.9Highest CA: 17.2%

Oroville and Blythe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 35.7%Highest 31.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 77.8 miHighest 18.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.80Lowest 1.76Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Ehrenberg (5%)Chico (13%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OrovilleFew work in Blythe

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.9%Highest 3.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 10.3 miHighest 10.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Lowest 13Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 15.0Lowest 48.8Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #551 of 574 in CA #328 of 574 in CA

School district Palo Verde UnifiedOroville City Elementary · Oroville Union High

High school in town Palo Verde HighOroville High

Students per teacherat that high school 21.0Highest 19.6Lowest

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.

Blythe neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Blythe’s Town Square.

Oroville neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Perfect Day in Oroville

1 neighbor in Oroville can answer.

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Bordering Blythe

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Ehrenberg, AZ697 people

Towns like Blythe

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Clearlake16,659 people · $214K homes

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Susanville14,177 people · $236K homes

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Coalinga17,203 people · $262K homes

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Corcoran22,491 people · $236K 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.

Blythe vs Oroville

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $540 more a month in Oroville

Oroville places higher on 13 of 23 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

557 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Perfect Day in Oroville

Set another town beside Blythe and Oroville

Bordering Blythe

Towns like Blythe

Post to Blythe

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