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Compare towns

Oroville vs Chowchilla

179 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+27.2 pts in Oroville) and household income (+27% in Chowchilla).

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Oroville, CAHomes around $308KCalifornia · 19,752 people
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Chowchilla, CAHomes around $390KCalifornia · 19,020 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.

OrovilleHomes around $308K
Housing$308K typical home60% below the CA typical home Work11,067 jobsbased in Oroville, a regional job hub SafetySafer than 2%of U.S. towns we grade All about Oroville →
ChowchillaHomes around $390K
Housing$390K typical home49% below the CA typical home Health92% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SafetySafer than 27%of U.S. towns we grade All about Chowchilla →
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.

Growth since 2010+27.2 pts
Oroville has grown faster since 2010
Oroville +28.9%Chowchilla +1.7%
Household income+27%
Households in Chowchilla earn more
Chowchilla $66,514Oroville $52,270
Typical home built25 yrs
Oroville’s homes are older
Chowchilla 1992Oroville 1967
Jobs per worker+76%
Oroville is more of a job hub
Oroville 1.76Chowchilla 1.00
Average commute6 min
Oroville has the shorter commute
Chowchilla 26 minOroville 20 min
Property tax bill+22%
Tax bills are bigger in Chowchilla
Chowchilla $3,064Oroville $2,521
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Chowchilla

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.

Oroville$1,820/mo
Typical home $308K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $1,093/mo · Housing →
Chowchilla$2,320/mo
Typical home $390K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $1,178/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,000 a year, between Chowchilla and Oroville.

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 15 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
D−OrovilleSafer than 2% of U.S. towns CChowchillaSafer than 27% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−OrovilleBetter than 21% of districts in the state C+ChowchillaBetter than 36% of districts in the state
Health
C−OrovilleHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns DChowchillaHealthier than 8% of U.S. towns
15Oroville
7Chowchilla

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

Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #37#561 SafestSafety · 411 towns #401#225 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #423#727 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #218#100 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #81#300 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #594#788 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #443#596 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #504#667

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Oroville’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
OrovilleChowchilla
Snow a year—0″
January low—38°F
July high—96°F
Growing season (days)—281d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th53rd
Outdoors & history
OrovilleChowchilla
Trails10 mi8 mi
Conserved land3.8%0.4%
Settled—1923
National Register places5—
Archive photos229
Famous people born here182
Community
OrovilleChowchilla
Library hours a week—26 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined11

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

179 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OrovilleCAChowchillaCA
Oroville ↔ Chowchilla179 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.

OrovilleChowchilla
People
Population 19,752Highest 19,020Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +28.9%Highest CA: +6.1% +1.7%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 35.8±1.8Highest 6% below CA 34.2±1.8Lowest 10% below CA
Oroville and Chowchilla are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.7%±2.9Lowest CA: 22% 24.4%±3Highest CA: 22%
Chowchilla and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.8%±2Highest CA: 15.7% 10%±1.6Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.2%Lowest CA: 37.1% 15.6%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±1.3Lowest CA: 7.6% 8.4%±1.9Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $52,270±$6kLowest 47% below CA $66,514±$7kHighest 33% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $311,600±$15kLowest 58% below CA $364,000±$21kHighest 50% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,093±$60Lowest 46% below CA $1,178±$70Highest 42% below CA
Chowchilla and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,521Lowest 51% below CA $3,064Highest 40% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 56%±9.6Highest CA: 55.3% 51.1%±8.2Lowest CA: 55.3%
Oroville and Chowchilla are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 21.4%Highest CA: 12% 19.6%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 53%Lowest CA: 55.9% 57.3%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1967Lowest 9 yrs older than CA 1992Highest 16 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 31% below CA 26 minHighest 10% below CA
Work from home 7.5%±2.9Lowest CA: 17.2% 8.3%±2.6Highest CA: 17.2%
Chowchilla and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 31.8%Highest 20.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miLowest 26.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.76Highest 1.00Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Chico (13%)Fresno (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ChowchillaFew work in Oroville
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.8%Highest 0.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 10.2 miHighest 8.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 mi 0.7 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 4Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 48.8Highest 35.5Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #328 of 574 in CA#352 of 574 in CA
School district Oroville City Elementary · Oroville Union HighChowchilla Elementary · Chowchilla Union High
High school in town Oroville HighChowchilla Union High
Students per teacherat that high school 19.6Lowest 21.1Highest
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.

Oroville neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Oroville can answer.

Chowchilla neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Chowchilla can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Oroville and Chowchilla

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Oroville

O
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Oroville East7,504 people · $405K homes
T
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Thermalito6,720 people · $255K homes
S
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South Oroville2,846 people · $262K homes
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Palermo5,266 people · $283K homes

Towns like Oroville

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Coalinga17,203 people · $262K homes
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California City14,414 people · $278K homes
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Susanville14,177 people · $236K homes
B
+ Compare
Blythe17,396 people · $225K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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