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%

Thermalito$1,450/mo

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

Live Oak$2,240/mo

Typical home $390K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.59% · or rent about $1,014/mo · Housing →

The difference: $790 a month, about $9,500 a year, between Live Oak 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.

Report cards

Live Oak places higher on 11 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.

Schools

C−ThermalitoBetter than 23% of districts in the state B−Live OakBetter than 49% of districts in the state

Health

C−ThermalitoHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns CLive OakHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns

8Thermalito

11Live Oak

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #23#432 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #777#368 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #802#420 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #314#607 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #443#211 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #232#445 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #448#645 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #652#490

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Thermalito’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

ThermalitoLive Oak

Snow a year—0″

January low—38°F

July high—92°F

Growing season (days)—293d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th 36th

Outdoors & history

ThermalitoLive Oak

Trails16 mi 1 mi

Conserved land44.2%3.6%

Settled—1947

National Register places—1

Archive photos—7

Community

ThermalitoLive Oak

Library hours a week—12 hrs

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

16 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ThermalitoLive Oak

Thermalito ↔ Live Oak16 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

ThermalitoLive Oak

People

Population 6,720Lowest 9,347Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.3%Lowest CA: +6.1% +8.5%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 37±3.9Highest about the CA average 35.4±3.5Lowest 7% below CA

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

Kids under 18 25.5%±3.8Lowest CA: 22% 29.2%±5.1Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 16.7%±2.4Highest CA: 15.7% 15%±3Lowest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.6%Lowest CA: 37.1% 15.7%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±2.5Highest CA: 7.6% 3.7%±1.7Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $54,865±$5kLowest 45% below CA $73,571±$14kHighest 26% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $254,900±$27kLowest 65% below CA $350,700±$25kHighest 52% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,178±$165Highest 42% below CA $1,014±$393Lowest 50% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,341Lowest 74% below CA $2,068Highest 60% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.3%±13.8Lowest CA: 55.3% 51.5%±13.7Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 20.4%Highest CA: 12% 17.4%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 69%Lowest CA: 55.9% 69.1%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1969Lowest 7 yrs older than CA 1995Highest 19 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 15% below CA 28 minHighest about the CA average

Work from home 6.5%±3.3Lowest CA: 17.2% 10.5%±5.8Highest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.4%Lowest 7.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 32.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.16Lowest 0.33Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Oroville (31%)Yuba City (16%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Live OakFew work in Thermalito

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 44.2%Highest 3.6%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 15.6 miHighest 1.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 4Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 15.2Lowest 79.3Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #459 of 574 in CA #517 of 574 in CA

School district Thermalito Union ElementaryLive Oak Unified

High school in town None in townLive Oak High

Students per teacherat that high school — 19.5

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.

Thermalito neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Thermalito’s Town Square.

Live Oak neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Discovering Hidden Gems

1 neighbor in Live Oak can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Thermalito and Live Oak

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

Bordering Thermalito

+ Compare

Oroville19,752 people · $312K homes

Towns like Thermalito

+ Compare

Calipatria6,548 people · $197K homes

+ Compare

Dos Palos5,765 people · $300K homes

+ Compare

Willows6,190 people · $282K homes

+ Compare

Shasta Lake10,311 people · $294K 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.

Thermalito vs Live Oak

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $790 more a month in Live Oak

Live Oak places higher on 11 of 20 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

16 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Discovering Hidden Gems

Set another town beside Thermalito and Live Oak

Bordering Thermalito

Towns like Thermalito

Post to Thermalito

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