Rio OsoCA
A town of 437, settled in 1920.
Is Rio Oso a good place to live?
Rio Oso’s July high is 96°F, above both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Rio Oso has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
437 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Rio Oso: who provides what
Rio Oso is unincorporated, so Sutter County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Rio Oso.
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Rio Oso’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Rio Oso for work: only 1% work in town. 4.1% of residents live below the poverty line in Rio Oso, against 10% in California’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Sacramento (13%), Roseville (6%) and San Francisco (4%).
| Rio Oso | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.1% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The schools Rio Oso’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Browns Elementary school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browns ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 143 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Rio Oso has mild winters and hot summers
Rio Oso has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The January low in Rio Oso is 39°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes in Rio Oso are worth about $627K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Rio Oso home is worth about $627,000, up 8.2% in a year, 18% below the California typical home. 84% of Rio Oso households own their home.
| Rio Oso | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,625 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
How healthy Rio Oso is
Rio Oso beats the California average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 32% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Rio Oso.
| Rio Oso | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Rio Oso | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.5% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.6% | 14.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.8% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Rio Oso faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Rio Oso | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Rio Oso
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rio Oso
About 7 of every 100 Rio Oso residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
99% of working residents leave Rio Oso for work
Where Rio Oso’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Rio Oso
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rio Oso, CA a good place to live?
Rio Oso has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.