Centerville Schoolhouse · National Register of Historic Places
Butte Creek Canyon’s story
Butte Creek Canyon in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1912 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Butte Creek CanyonCA
This town in California has a population of 713.
3 bordering townsMap →
Centerville Schoolhouse · Photo: NoeHill · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
713
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$695K
Census ACS
Household income
$106K
median
Median age
56.6
years
Jobs based here
33
A commuter town
Is Butte Creek Canyon a good place to live?
31% of residents are 65 or older in Butte Creek Canyon, above both the California town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Butte Creek Canyon’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Butte Creek Canyon has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Honey Run Covered Bridge and Centerville Schoolhouse. Butte Creek Canyon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
A shrinking town
Butte Creek Canyon has shrunk 28% from 2010 to 2020
1,086 counted in 2010 and 780 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Getting set up
Moving to Butte Creek Canyon: who provides what
Butte Creek Canyon is unincorporated, so Butte County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGran Mutual Water CoNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesButte CountyButte County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereButte County ElectionsButte County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code9592895928 98%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Butte Creek Canyon.
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very high risk in Butte Creek Canyon, mostly inland flooding
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in Butte Creek Canyon than in 80% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 62% come from inland flooding and 18% from earthquakes. The town has had 7 paid flood insurance claims since 1996.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
7
paid flood claims since 1996
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
More than half of Butte Creek Canyon’s working residents commute to Chico
In Butte Creek Canyon, the typical journey to work is 17 minutes. Jobs based here fell to 33 in 2023, 40 fewer than in 2013. The median commute is under 9 miles. The top destinations are Chico (54%), Oroville (6%) and Paradise (3%).
0%work in town
| Butte Creek Canyon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $106,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Butte Creek Canyon0%
Chico54%
Oroville6%
Paradise3%
Sacramento2%
9 mi
median commute distance
33
jobs based in Butte Creek Canyon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Butte Creek Canyon: mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons reach 96°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
96°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–58°
Spring48–72°
Summer62–93°
Fall51–78°
Dec 18
typical first frost
Feb 7
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
96°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, fewer of Butte Creek Canyon’s adults feel lonely
Among adults in Butte Creek Canyon, 80% had a checkup this year. Against the California average, Butte Creek Canyon comes out ahead on 17 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 7.
| Butte Creek Canyon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 80% | 72% | 79% |
32 measures vs. California
17 better8 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Butte Creek Canyon | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.2% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.2% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.1% | 6.4% |
Enloe Health
7.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.8%conserved
1.8%
conserved · 235 of 13,074 acres
28 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
More of Butte Creek Canyon’s households own their home than in the typical California or U.S. town
$755Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →Oroville Dam and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Butte Creek Canyon. Close and well known come first.
18 mi DamOroville Dam
4 mi Park & preserveBidwell Park
36 mi MountainSutter Buttes
9 mi MuseumChico Air Museum
7 mi MuseumMuseum of Northern California ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Oroville Dam: California Department of Water Resources, Public domain · Bidwell Park: Saopaulo1 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sutter Buttes: Expedition 32 crew/NASA, Public domain · Chico Air Museum: Bsudicky, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Museum of Northern California Art: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Butte Creek Canyon
16pages on Butte Creek Canyon
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Butte Creek Canyon
Butte CollegeCommunity college · Public · Oroville7.3 mi$1,356 in-state tuitionCal Northern School of LawUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Chico7.3 miCalifornia State University-ChicoUniversity or college · Public · Chico7.4 mi$8,472 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Butte Creek Canyon residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Small town
713 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MagaliaParadiseChicoButte Creek Canyon
Landmarks
2 places in Butte Creek Canyon on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Butte Creek Canyon
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Butte Creek Canyon is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Butte County, California, United States. Butte Creek Canyon sits at an elevation of 1024 feet (312 m) in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The 2020 United States census reported Butte Creek Canyon's population was 780, down from 1,086 at the 2010 census. In November 2018, the Camp Fire destroyed a large portion of the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 21 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,024 ft
Questions about Butte Creek Canyon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Butte Creek Canyon, CA a good place to live?
Butte Creek Canyon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.