City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Oroville, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Oroville - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

19,855
Residents
$51,893
Median income
$280,600
Median home
$1,625
Median rent (state)

Oroville - the verdict

Oroville ranks in the 23rd percentile for household income and the 4th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

23rd
percentile, household income
62nd
percentile, home value
64th
percentile, median rent
4th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Oroville, CA

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 19,855 residents in Oroville, a small town within California. The typical household in Oroville brings in $51,893 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 13.1%. Typical homes in Oroville are valued around $280,600, and the median resident age is 35.5 years. About 13.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 48.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Oroville (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Oroville's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 4800.2 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Oroville's yearly average temperature at 63.5°F with 30.6 inches of precipitation per year.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,625 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts California's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 93.9 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

19,855 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$51,893 /yr

Poverty 13.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Oroville compare to other US cities?

Oroville measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 23% higher than other cities
Home value 62% pricier than other cities
Median rent 64% pricier than other cities
Safety 4% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at California, Oroville ranks #424 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Oroville's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

23rdIncome percentile
4thSafety percentile

23rd percentile nationally for median household income · 4th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Oroville's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Oroville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 21 Avg. percentile National median
Oroville's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Oroville's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$280,600 38th percentile more affordable than 38% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Oroville $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Oroville, CA Oroville, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Oroville, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Oroville, CA median $51,893/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Oroville, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Oroville, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 13.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 13.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 48.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
19,855
Median Income
$51,893
Median Home Value
$280,600
Median Age
35.5
Poverty Rate
13.1%
Labor force participation
48.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
4800.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
980.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3819.4
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
63.5°F
Annual Precipitation
30.6"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
27
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
19,000 residents19,500 residents20,000 residents20,500 residents21,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 20,031 residents 20,451 residents ▲ +2.1%
Oroville's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 72
2020 64
2021 253
2022 226
2023 114
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
77.4%
Carpool
9.0%
Public Transit
1.0%
Walk
3.7%
Work from Home
6.4%
Other
2.5%

Based on 6,993 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Oroville sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,625/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
93.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Agoura Hills
19,881 people
La Crescenta-Montrose
19,940 people
Albany
19,768 people
Casa de Oro-Mount Helix
19,651 people
La Cañada Flintridge
20,094 people
Mead Valley
19,588 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Oroville's 19,855 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Universal City, TX
19,853 people
Miamisburg, OH
19,859 people
Shelbyville, IN
19,866 people
Altamont, OR
19,844 people
Mamaroneck, NY
19,840 people
Plattsburgh, NY
19,878 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Oroville's $51,893 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Holyoke, MA
$51,892 median income
Struthers, OH
$51,894 median income
Piedmont, SC
$51,896 median income
Hawesville, KY
$51,898 median income
Victor, MT
$51,898 median income
Bay City, TX
$51,898 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Oroville, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Oroville, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 63.8% 11.3% 13.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 20.2% White 63.8% Black or African American 3.3% Asian 11.3% American Indian 1.9% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 5.8% Two or more races 13.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Oroville compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Oroville (this city) 19,855 $51,893
Agoura Hills 19,881 $171,944
La Crescenta-Montrose 19,940 $119,775
Albany 19,768 $135,927
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Oroville, CA?

What is the population of Oroville, CA? +

The population of Oroville, CA stands at 19,855 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Oroville, CA? +

Median annual household income in Oroville runs $51,893, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Oroville? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Oroville; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Oroville, CA safe? +

Oroville has a total crime rate of 4800.2 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Oroville, CA? +

The median home value in Oroville is $280,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Oroville? +

Climate normals put Oroville's yearly average temperature at 63.5°F, 30.6 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.