1st Advantage MortgageAbout 57% of Butte County homes are owner-occupied, and the median household income is $67,928. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Butte County at a glance
- Housing costs in Butte County
- Household income in Butte County
- Work, industries and travel time in Butte County
- Places inside Butte County
- Butte County next to its neighbors
- What a median Butte County budget can carry
- Before borrowing in Butte County
- Who lives in Butte County, in numbers
- Licensing and complaints for Butte County
- A Butte County borrower's checklist
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Butte County at a glance
Roughly 207,929 residents live in Butte County, California, 28th by population among the state's 58 counties and county equivalents. Packed into 1,637 square miles, that is close to 127 residents for every square mile of land. The federal metro definitions (OMB, July 2023) place it in the Chico, CA metropolitan area. The Census Bureau counts 30 places in the county (5 incorporated, 25 census-designated); the largest is Chico, with about 102,188 residents, or 49% of the county.
Housing costs in Butte County
A typical Butte County rental runs $1,414 a month including utilities, which is 31% below California. By the Census definition, 60% of Butte County renters are cost-burdened. With a median value of $424,700, a typical Butte County house costs 6.3 times what the median household earns in a year. 57% of Butte County households own their home and 43% rent. Median construction year: 1981.
| Home costs | Butte County | California | U.S. middle county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,414/mo | $2,036/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $424,700 | $734,700 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 57% | 56% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 60% | 55% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 34% | 38% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 10.3% | 3.5% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 10% | 7% | n/a |
Rent pressure is real here, so run any payment through the debt-to-income calculator before you apply.
Household income in Butte County
Half of Butte County households take in less than $67,928 a year and half take in more, 31% below the California median of $99,122.
| Yearly household income | Butte County | Gap to California |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 27.8% | +10.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 38.2% | +5.6 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 23.6% | -5.6 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 10.4% | -10.1 pts |
Some 28% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 34% have six-figure incomes. 19.2% of residents fall below the federal poverty line (statewide: 12.0%). Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.483 here. If your income is irregular, as it often is with tips, gig work or seasonal jobs, plan around your leaner months rather than the Butte County median.
Work, industries and travel time in Butte County
By the Census industry count, 28% of employed Butte County residents work in education and health care and 12% in arts, lodging and food service. Education and health care stands out: 28% of workers here, versus 22% statewide. Averaged over the five survey years, 7.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking. Long commutes are the exception here: 10% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. Only 6.0% of homes here go without a vehicle.
| Sector | Butte County | Compared with California |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 28.0% | +5.9 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 12.3% | +2.9 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.5% | +1.4 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 10.4% | -4.1 pts |
| Construction | 6.4% | -0.2 pts |
| Manufacturing | 5.6% | -3.2 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Places inside Butte County
Here are the 14 most populous of the county's 30 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 89% of Butte County residents live in one of the 30. Forest Ranch has the highest median household income on the list ($131,650) and Berry Creek the lowest ($45,673), counting places with at least 500 residents. Median rent ranges from $1,093 in Oroville to $2,505 in Kelly Ridge. Live in one of these Butte County communities, or between them? This is your local guide.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chico | city | 102,188 | $66,977 | $1,488 | 13 mi |
| Oroville | city | 19,752 | $52,270 | $1,093 | 12 mi |
| Oroville East | CDP | 7,504 | $94,512 | $1,211 | 13 mi |
| Paradise | town | 7,392 | $67,687 | $1,241 | 6 mi |
| Magalia | CDP | 7,389 | $56,920 | $1,478 | 11 mi |
| Gridley | city | 7,330 | $57,974 | $1,176 | 21 mi |
| Thermalito | CDP | 6,720 | $54,865 | $1,178 | 11 mi |
| Durham | CDP | 5,340 | $95,417 | $1,105 | 10 mi |
| Palermo | CDP | 5,266 | $50,588 | $1,135 | 17 mi |
| South Oroville | CDP | 2,846 | $65,409 | $1,412 | 13 mi |
| Kelly Ridge | CDP | 2,825 | $54,631 | $2,505 | 12 mi |
| Biggs | city | 2,307 | $84,914 | $1,474 | 19 mi |
| Forest Ranch | CDP | 1,915 | $131,650 | n/a | 16 mi |
| Butte Valley | CDP | 1,087 | $97,934 | n/a | 2 mi |
A CDP is a named community without its own municipal government.
Butte County next to its neighbors
Six nearby counties, 31 to 48 miles away by the straight-line distance between their centers. Sutter County leads the group on income ($79,704), Tehama County trails ($63,784), and Butte County out-earns 3 of the six.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County | - | $67,928 | $1,414/mo | 57% |
| Yuba County, CA | 31 mi | $76,373 | $1,311/mo | 63% |
| Glenn County, CA | 43 mi | $67,139 | $1,120/mo | 61% |
| Sutter County, CA | 44 mi | $79,704 | $1,439/mo | 61% |
| Tehama County, CA | 46 mi | $63,784 | $1,184/mo | 67% |
| Plumas County, CA | 47 mi | $66,031 | $1,194/mo | 75% |
| Colusa County, CA | 48 mi | $75,672 | $1,157/mo | 62% |
What a median Butte County budget can carry
Lenders compare monthly debt payments with gross monthly income, the debt-to-income ratio. For a Butte County household at the medians it works out like this; treat it as an illustration only.
- $67,928 a year is $5,661 of gross monthly income
- Median rent: $1,414, or 25 cents of every gross dollar
- With a 36% ceiling, about $624 remains for car, card, student and any new loan payments
Subtract what you already pay on other debts. A new payment should fit in what remains, with some to spare.
Before borrowing in Butte County
A few patterns in the Butte County data, and the practical point behind each:
- 19% below poverty. Emergency aid, payment plans and counseling (list) come first.
- Rent squeeze. 60% of renters spend 30%+ of income on rent; borrow only if the loan cuts what you pay overall.
- Combining balances. It helps when total cost falls and the cards stay paid down (consolidation).
Who lives in Butte County, in numbers
College graduates make up 32% of the adult population. 6.4% of residents have no health coverage.
| People and households | Butte County | California | Median county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.2 | 37.9 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 31.9% | 37.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 9.4% | 15.3% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 6.4% | 6.6% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 6.0% | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 17.2% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 19.2% | 12.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 7.5% | 6.6% | 4.4% |
| Travel time to work | Workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 46.5% |
| 15 to 29 min | 29.6% |
| 30 to 44 min | 14.2% |
| 45 to 59 min | 4.1% |
| 60+ min | 5.6% |
Licensing and complaints for Butte County
Butte County borrowers fall under statewide rules, enforced by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts complaints nationwide. More on California: California personal loans.
A Butte County borrower's checklist
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Borrow the amount the job needs; extra cash adds interest.
- Line up offers side by side: APR, fees in dollars, total cost.
- Look the lender up with the state regulator first.
- Read the final agreement; it must match the offer.
Related local guides
For statewide rules and data, see the California guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Butte County earn?
The median is $67,928; 34% earn $100,000 or more and 28% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
Is Butte County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $1,414 against $2,036 statewide, and 60% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Does this page cover Chico?
Yes, along with the other 29 Census places in Butte County, such as Oroville, Oroville East, Paradise.
Is the fit check different in Butte County?
No. It is identical everywhere, and it never looks at your neighborhood.
Who do I complain to about a lender in Butte County?
Start with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, then the CFPB complaint portal. Keep copies of every message.