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Oroville vs Thermalito

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (11× in Oroville) and property tax bill (+88% in Oroville).

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Oroville, CAHomes around $308KCalifornia · 19,752 people
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Thermalito, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 6,720 people
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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 →
ThermalitoAn outdoors town
Outdoors#23 most conserved land in CA16 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves Health78% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 23%of CA districts All about Thermalito →
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.

Jobs per worker11×
Oroville is more of a job hub
Oroville 1.76Thermalito 0.16
Property tax bill+88%
Tax bills are bigger in Oroville
Oroville $2,521Thermalito $1,341
Street grid3.2×
Oroville has the more walkable street grid
Oroville 48.8Thermalito 15.2
Growth since 2010+20.6 pts
Oroville has grown faster since 2010
Oroville +28.9%Thermalito +8.3%
Conserved land+40.4 pts
Thermalito has more conserved land
Thermalito 44.2%Oroville 3.8%
Work in town+28.4 pts
More of Oroville’s workers stay in town
Oroville 31.8%Thermalito 3.4%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $370 more a month in Oroville

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 →
Thermalito$1,450/mo
Typical home $255K (Census) · tax rate 0.53% · or rent about $1,178/mo · Housing →

The difference: $370 a month, about $4,500 a year, between Oroville and Thermalito.

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.

Where they are

Oroville and Thermalito share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

OrovilleThermalitoOrovilleThermalito
Oroville ↔ Thermalito2.4 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
743 Thermalito residents work in Oroville (31.1% of its workers)
90 Oroville residents work in Thermalito (1.4% of its workers)
Work & commute in Thermalito →
Report cards

Thermalito places higher on 10 of 20 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 –ThermalitoNot graded
Schools
C−OrovilleBetter than 21% of districts in the state C−ThermalitoBetter than 23% of districts in the state
Health
C−OrovilleHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns C−ThermalitoHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns
8Oroville
10Thermalito

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #423#23 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #37#246 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #562#777 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #328#459 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #460#314 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #81#232 Lowest property taxCost of living · 835 towns #152#12 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #594#502

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
OrovilleThermalito
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)65th79th
Outdoors & history
OrovilleThermalito
Trails10 mi16 mi
Conserved land3.8%44.2%
National Register places5—
Archive photos22—
Famous people born here18—
Community
OrovilleThermalito
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.

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.

OrovilleThermalito
People
Population 19,752Highest 6,720Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +28.9%Highest CA: +6.1% +8.3%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 35.8±1.8Lowest 6% below CA 37±3.9Highest about the CA average
Thermalito and Oroville 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% 25.5%±3.8Highest CA: 22%
Thermalito and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.8%±2Lowest CA: 15.7% 16.7%±2.4Highest CA: 15.7%
Thermalito and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.2%Highest CA: 37.1% 10.6%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±1.3Lowest CA: 7.6% 4.3%±2.5Highest CA: 7.6%
Thermalito and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $52,270±$6kLowest 47% below CA $54,865±$5kHighest 45% below CA
Thermalito and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $311,600±$15kHighest 58% below CA $254,900±$27kLowest 65% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,093±$60Lowest 46% below CA $1,178±$165Highest 42% below CA
Thermalito and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,521Highest 51% below CA $1,341Lowest 74% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 56%±9.6Highest CA: 55.3% 50.3%±13.8Lowest CA: 55.3%
Oroville and Thermalito 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% 20.4%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 53%Lowest CA: 55.9% 69%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1967Lowest 9 yrs older than CA 1969Highest 7 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 31% below CA 24 minHighest 15% below CA
Work from home 7.5%±2.9Highest CA: 17.2% 6.5%±3.3Lowest CA: 17.2%
Oroville and Thermalito are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 31.8%Highest 3.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miHighest 16.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.76Highest 0.16Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Chico (13%)Oroville (31%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Thermalito31% work in Oroville
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.8%Lowest 44.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 10.2 miLowest 15.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miLowest 1.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 5Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 48.8Highest 15.2Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #328 of 574 in CA#459 of 574 in CA
School district Oroville City Elementary · Oroville Union HighThermalito Union Elementary
High school in town Oroville HighNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 19.6 —
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.

Thermalito neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Thermalito’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Oroville and Thermalito

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Bordering Oroville

O
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Oroville East7,504 people · $405K homes
S
+ Compare
South Oroville2,846 people · $262K homes
+ Compare
Palermo5,266 people · $283K homes

Towns like Oroville

+ Compare
Coalinga17,203 people · $262K homes
+ Compare
California City14,414 people · $278K homes
+ Compare
Susanville14,177 people · $236K homes
+ Compare
Chowchilla19,020 people · $364K 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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