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Thermalito vs Oroville

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

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Thermalito, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 6,720 people
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Oroville, CAHomes around $308KCalifornia · 19,752 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.

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 →
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 →
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.

Thermalito$1,450/mo
Typical home $255K (Census) · tax rate 0.53% · or rent about $1,178/mo · Housing →
Oroville$1,820/mo
Typical home $308K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.81% · or rent about $1,093/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

Thermalito and Oroville share a border

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

ThermalitoOrovilleThermalitoOroville
Thermalito ↔ Oroville2.4 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
–ThermalitoNot graded D−OrovilleSafer than 2% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−ThermalitoBetter than 23% of districts in the state C−OrovilleBetter than 21% of districts in the state
Health
C−ThermalitoHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns C−OrovilleHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns
10Thermalito
8Oroville

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

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

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
ThermalitoOroville
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th65th
Outdoors & history
ThermalitoOroville
Trails16 mi10 mi
Conserved land44.2%3.8%
National Register places—5
Archive photos—22
Famous people born here—18
Community
ThermalitoOroville
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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.

ThermalitoOroville
People
Population 6,720Lowest 19,752Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.3%Lowest CA: +6.1% +28.9%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 37±3.9Highest about the CA average 35.8±1.8Lowest 6% below CA
Thermalito and Oroville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25.5%±3.8Highest CA: 22% 23.7%±2.9Lowest CA: 22%
Thermalito and Oroville 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% 14.8%±2Lowest 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+ 10.6%Lowest CA: 37.1% 12.2%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±2.5Highest CA: 7.6% 3.5%±1.3Lowest 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 $54,865±$5kHighest 45% below CA $52,270±$6kLowest 47% 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 $254,900±$27kLowest 65% below CA $311,600±$15kHighest 58% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,178±$165Highest 42% below CA $1,093±$60Lowest 46% 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 $1,341Lowest 74% below CA $2,521Highest 51% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.3%±13.8Lowest CA: 55.3% 56%±9.6Highest 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 20.4%Lowest CA: 12% 21.4%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69%Highest CA: 55.9% 53%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1969Highest 7 yrs older than CA 1967Lowest 9 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 15% below CA 20 minLowest 31% below CA
Work from home 6.5%±3.3Lowest CA: 17.2% 7.5%±2.9Highest 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 3.4%Lowest 31.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 18.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.16Lowest 1.76Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Oroville (31%)Chico (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 31% work in Oroville1% work in Thermalito
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 44.2%Highest 3.8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 15.6 miHighest 10.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 0.7 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Lowest 13Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 15.2Lowest 48.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #459 of 574 in CA#328 of 574 in CA
School district Thermalito Union ElementaryOroville City Elementary · Oroville Union High
High school in town None in townOroville High
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.

Thermalito neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Thermalito’s Town Square.

Oroville neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Oroville can answer.

Add a town

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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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