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 →

Willows$1,860/mo

Typical home $321K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.68% · or rent about $1,237/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $5,000 a year, between Willows 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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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 CWillowsBetter than 31% of districts in the state

Health

C−ThermalitoHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns CWillowsHealthier than 27% of U.S. towns

9Thermalito

9Willows

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #23#553 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #777#379 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #246#540 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #802#680 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #448#568 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #752#649 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #502#594 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #314#377

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

ThermalitoWillows

Snow a year—0″

January low—38°F

July high—94°F

Growing season (days)—279d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th 72nd

Outdoors & history

ThermalitoWillows

Trails16 mi 3 mi

Conserved land44.2%2%

Settled—1886

National Register places—2

Community

ThermalitoWillows

Library hours a week—28 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

32 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ThermalitoCA WillowsCA

Thermalito ↔ Willows32 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

ThermalitoWillows

People

Population 6,720Highest 6,190Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.3%Highest CA: +6.1% +2.1%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 37±3.9Lowest about the CA average 38.6±5.3Highest about the CA average

Willows and Thermalito 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% 23.4%±5.6Lowest CA: 22%

Thermalito and Willows 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% 16.3%±4.3Lowest CA: 15.7%

Thermalito and Willows 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% 15.8%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±2.5Highest CA: 7.6% 4.2%±2.7Lowest CA: 7.6%

Thermalito and Willows 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 $64,068±$18kHighest 35% below CA

Willows 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 $281,700±$32kHighest 62% below CA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,178±$165Lowest 42% below CA $1,237±$173Highest 39% below CA

Willows and Thermalito 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 $1,904Highest 63% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.3%±13.8Lowest CA: 55.3% 60%±18.8Highest CA: 55.3%

Willows 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% 19.3%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 69%Highest CA: 55.9% 59.1%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1969Lowest 7 yrs older than CA 1975Highest 1 yr older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 min 15% below CA 24 min 15% below CA

Work from home 6.5%±3.3Lowest CA: 17.2% 7.4%±4.1Highest CA: 17.2%

Willows 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 23.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 20.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.16Lowest 1.00Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Oroville (31%)Chico (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WillowsFew work in Thermalito

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 44.2%Highest 2%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 15.6 miHighest 2.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 1.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 3Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 15.2Lowest 77.6Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #459 of 574 in CA #431 of 574 in CA

School district Thermalito Union ElementaryGlenn County ROP · Walden Academy District

High school in town None in townWillows High

Students per teacherat that high school — 18.8

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.

Willows neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Willows’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Thermalito and Willows

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

Bordering Thermalito

+ Compare

Oroville19,752 people · $312K homes

Towns like Thermalito

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Calipatria6,548 people · $197K homes

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Live Oak9,347 people · $351K homes

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Dos Palos5,765 people · $300K 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 Willows

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Willows

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

32 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Thermalito and Willows

Bordering Thermalito

Towns like Thermalito

Post to Thermalito

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