What it's like to live in Oroville
Oroville is a small city in California with rent below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Oroville deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Short commutes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
How Oroville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Oroville
Based on Oroville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,186
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $43,720 a year
- 52% of Oroville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$62,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,160
- Homes cost 6.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 23% below US
$1,093/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,093 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $311,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $311,600 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
6.2% county unemployment
Unemployment in Butte County is 6.2%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Butte County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 169% above US
886 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3596/100k · Oroville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 23% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 94°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 1.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 66% below US
12% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
19 public schools inside the boundary
There are 19 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lassen Volcanic National Park (69 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Oroville's strongest points are rent below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,093/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
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