South Oroville is a city of 2,846 people in California. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 14% of adults. The poverty rate is 33.7%, above the 12.5% national rate. The population has fallen 63% since 2000. This skews young, with a median age of 33.0. That trails the California median by roughly 34%.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $65,409, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 108%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about South Oroville
What changed most since 1990
Population7,463 → 2,846(−62%)US over the same years: +35%
Hispanic share6.9% → 33.6%(+26.7 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
White share77.1% → 45.4%(−31.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)39.2%(60)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)0%(0)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era22.2%(34)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.6%(4)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 153 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
South Oroville, decade by decade
South Oroville population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
7,463
$40,765
$128,164
4.5%
49.0
2000
7,695
$43,324
$125,512
4.3%
68.8
2010
5,742
$41,111
$219,814
1.5%
82.7
2020
3,235
$61,396
$195,138
3.9%
78.3
2024
2,846
$65,409
$261,500
14.2%
81.9
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
