South OrovilleCA
A town of 2,846.
Is South Oroville a good place to live?
South Oroville grades D− overall, 809th among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and schools. The median household income is $65K, and 34% of residents live below the poverty line. Its public schools trail 81% of California towns on state tests and graduation. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in South Oroville, above both California’s towns (10%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On the outdoors, just 72 of California’s 1,064 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 70% of U.S. towns.
South Oroville has shrunk 44% from 2010 to 2020
5,742 counted in 2010 and 3,235 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How South Oroville grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far South Oroville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to South Oroville: who provides what
South Oroville is unincorporated, so Butte 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 South Oroville.
South Oroville has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has poverty well above the California rate and has many renters stretched by housing costs.
For schools, South Oroville earns a C−
Its public schools are run by the Oroville Union High school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Las Plumas High, with 1,265 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helen M. Wilcox ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 592 | – |
| Las Plumas HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,265 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of South Oroville’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave South Oroville for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in South Oroville is 23 minutes. Jobs based in South Oroville grew to 487 in 2023, 24 more than in 2013.
| South Oroville | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in South Oroville
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
South Oroville has four seasons and hot summers
July afternoons average 96.3°, hotter than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.2°.
South Oroville has mild winters and hot summers. South Oroville’s July high is 96°F.
| South Oroville | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health in South Oroville trails 64% of U.S. towns
South Oroville beats the California average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 21% of South Oroville adults report frequent mental distress.
| South Oroville | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 72% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | South Oroville | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.9% | 10.6% |
| More smokers | 16.5% | 10.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.4% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median home in South Oroville sells for about $191K
71.4% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 55.3% across California. The median property tax bill is $1,726, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
55% of households own their home in South Oroville.
| South Oroville | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,412 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about South Oroville
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Oroville
About 4 of every 100 South Oroville residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
97% of working residents leave South Oroville for work
Where South Oroville’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About South Oroville
Census-designated place in California, United States
South Oroville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 3,235 at the 2020 census, down from 5,742 at the 2010 census. For all practical purposes, South Oroville is tied to Oroville proper. South Oroville contains a negligible number of businesses, and all residents are dependent on the commercial centers of Oroville, and sometimes Chico if they choose. In fact, there is no clear divide between South Oroville and the Oroville city limits. This also applies to Thermalito, Oroville East, and Palermo. Las Plumas High School is located in South Oroville, and most high school students go to school there.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 187 ft
South Oroville’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with South Oroville.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Oroville | #809 | D− | C− | — | C− | C+ |
| Oroville | #835 | D− | C− | D− | C− | C− |
| Palermo | #840 | D− | C− | — | C− | D |
| Oroville East | #745 | D− | C− | — | C− | B− |
South Oroville, Palermo and Oroville East report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare South Oroville with a neighbor →
Questions about South Oroville
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Oroville, CA a good place to live?
South Oroville grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #809 of 841 in California. It grades C+ for health and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Is South Oroville, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $262,000, 66% below the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.