Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 10,023, settled in 1877. 2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical California town.
Paradise grades D overall, ranked 642nd of 841 in California, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $68K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. Paradise’s median age is 57.4 years, above both California’s towns (39 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 91 of California’s 1,064 towns score higher on hazard risk. Paradise's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Where Paradise beats most towns.
26,218 counted in 2010 and 4,764 in 2020; an estimated 10,023 in 2025.
The decline has turned around: up 110.5% since 2020, after a 81.8% drop 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 Paradise is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 8,268 in 1960, a peak of 26,408 in 2000, 4,764 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 2 maps from 1891 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paradise, 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 Paradise.
Paradise carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of California (mostly earthquakes), has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Chico and other neighbors.
People 65 and older are 41% of residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (24% statewide). 15% of Paradise residents are under 18. Paradise has grown 110% since 2020, to 10,023 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Paradise | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 29% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Paradise | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.9% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.5% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.8% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.2% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 21.8% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.1% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.5% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.2% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.4% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.5% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.4% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its public schools are run by the Paradise Unified school district. Three of its 13 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Ridge ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 496 | – |
| Paradise Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 495 | B |
| Paradise Charter MiddleTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 143 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
At about $332K, home values are down 25% in five years, against a rise of 13% across California.
The typical Paradise home is worth about $332,000, about the same as a year ago, 56% below the California typical home. Paradise’s median rent is $1,241 a month.
| Paradise | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,241 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Paradise weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 313 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Paradise has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Paradise is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 97% of California towns, with expected losses of about $237 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Paradise since 1998.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Paradise has about as many jobs (2,267) as working residents, but only 424 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 5,767 in 2013 to 2,267.
Jobs based in Paradise fell to 2,267 in 2023, 3,500 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Chico (33%), Oroville (9%) and Butte Valley (2%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
| Paradise | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within California, it does better than 71% of towns.
| Paradise | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.1 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
42% of adults have high blood pressure in Paradise. Paradise beats the California average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 14% of adults have diabetes in Paradise.
| Paradise | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 31% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 36% | 33% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Paradise | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.3% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.1% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.0 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Bille Park, at 40 acres.
| Paradise | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.9% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bille Park | 0.9 mi | 40 |
| 2. Paul Bryne Aquatic Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
| 3. Paradise Community Park | 0.3 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Paradise. Close and well known come first.
16 mi DamOroville Dam
38 mi MountainSutter Buttes
9 mi Park & preserveBidwell Park
14 mi MuseumChico Air Museum
13 mi MuseumMuseum of Northern California ArtOroville Dam: California Department of Water Resources, Public domain · Sutter Buttes: Expedition 32 crew/NASA, Public domain · Bidwell Park: Saopaulo1 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chico Air Museum: Bsudicky, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Museum of Northern California Art: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Paradise
About 5 of every 100 Paradise residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
3 notable people were born in Paradise.
Town in California, United States
Paradise is an incorporated town in Butte County, California, United States, in the Sierra Nevada foothills above the northeastern Sacramento Valley. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 4,764, a decline of over 80% from the 26,218 residents recorded in the 2010 census. On November 8, 2018, a major wildfire, the Camp Fire, killed 85 people and destroyed much of Paradise and Magalia, as well as most of Butte Creek Canyon and Concow. In November 2023, it was reported that there were a little over 9,000 residents living in Paradise, roughly double the number from three years prior. Over 2,500 new structures had also been built, with more construction ongoing.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Paradise.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise | #642 | D | D | C+ | C+ | B− |
| Magalia | #779 | D− | C− | — | C+ | C+ |
| Butte Creek Canyon | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Magalia reports no FBI crime data of its own. Butte Creek Canyon isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Paradise with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Paradise grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #642 of 841 in California. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Within California, it does better than 71% of towns.
Yes. That is 4.9 years of the area's median household income ($67,928 across the Chico, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
3 notable people were born here, including Nate Smith and Jeanette Antolin.
