Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Gridley earns a D, ranked 598th of 841 in California, mostly because of incomes and safety. The median household income is $58K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. It reports more crime per resident than 75% of U.S. towns, including 27 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 81% of U.S. towns. Gridley’s peak summer temperature is 96°F, above both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Only 102 of California’s 1,064 towns score higher on hazard risk. Hazel Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Gridley beats most towns.
6,584 counted in 2010 and 7,421 in 2020; an estimated 7,258 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 2.6%, after 12.7% growth in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Gridley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 352 in 1880, 7,421 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1905 and 3 maps from 1912 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gridley, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Gridley.
Gridley carries less natural-hazard risk than most of California (mostly drought), fares better on crime within California than nationally and has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns.
The median property tax bill is $2,174, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The share of households in Gridley who live in a home they own: 49%. The typical rent here is $1,176 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 1.2% in value.
| Gridley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,176 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Of its 5 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. The largest public high school is Gridley High, with 670 students. Public schools: the Gridley Unified school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–5 | Grades 2–5 | 544 | B− |
| Gridley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 670 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
At 32.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 56% of California’s graded towns.
Gridley’s rate of reported violence stands at 3.7 per 1,000 residents. In Gridley, the level of property crime is 14.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Gridley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.4 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The top destinations are Oroville (10%), Yuba City (9%) and Chico (9%). Most working residents leave Gridley for work: only 17% work in town. Since 2013, Gridley has lost 174 jobs, to 1,842 in 2023. Half of commuters travel less than 16 miles.
| Gridley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 8,326 U.S. towns with household incomes like Gridley’s, it is less healthy than 57%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
For adults in Gridley, the share who get no exercise outside work is 30%. In Gridley, 25% of adults worry about having enough food, and 17% report frequent physical distress.
| Gridley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Gridley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.8% | 7.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.5% | 5.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.7% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Colusa 2 Ssw weather station, 21 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 293 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 96.3°, hotter than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.2°.
It almost never snows. Its January low comes in at 39°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 89% of California towns; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
Households in Gridley have drawn federal disaster aid in 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2023. The town’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 57 of 100. FEMA puts 54% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 30% to earthquakes.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Count the trails in 2 parks and preserves and they come to 0.2 miles. The density of trails for Gridley comes to 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Gridley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Manuel Vierra Park Municipal | — | 12 |
| 2. Nick Daddow Plaza | 0.2 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Gridley; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Gridley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Gridley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Gridley.
City in California, United States
Gridley is a city in Butte County, California, United States, 29 miles (47 kilometers) south of Chico and 56 miles (90 kilometers) north of Sacramento. The population as of April 1, 2020, is 7,421. California State Route 99 runs through Gridley and Interstate 5 and California State Route 70 both pass nearby.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Gridley grades D overall, better than 11% of U.S. towns and #598 of 841 in California. It grades C for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($67,928 across the Chico, CA metro area).
4 notable people were born here, including Isaac Austin and Winford Lee Lewis.
