The Town FilesParadise, California
Town in Butte County · population 4,764 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $416,000
- Household income
- $67,687
- Jan low / Jul high
- 41° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 57.4
Paradise is a town of 4,764 people in Butte County, California. The median home is worth $416,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks quieter than 81% of California towns, better for retirees than 80% of California towns, better for first-time buyers than 70% of California towns.
How Paradise ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Paradise is worth $416,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.1 times the median household income of $67,687, which is more affordable than 56% of California towns. Median rent is $1,241 a month. 74.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Paradise | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $416,000 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,241 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $67,687 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.1× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 74.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.2% | — |
Who lives in Paradise
| People | Paradise | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.4 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 40.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 15.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.9% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 18.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 15.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.9% | — |
| Work from home | 18.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 24.3 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.4% | 93.3% |
Weather in Paradise
July highs average 91.3°F and January lows 40.5°F. About 56.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 65 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 7 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Paradise since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on May 25, 2011 about 9.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 18, 2020.
Severe weather in Butte County since 1996
Butte County has been included in 39 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 25, 2024 | Fire | FM-5519: Park Fire |
| July 2, 2024 | Fire | FM-5502: Thompson Fire |
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Butte County
Butte County had 78,999 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,521 a year. Unemployment was 5.2% in 2023; in Paradise itself the ACS puts it at 4.9%.
Public schools in Paradise
13 public schools with 1,835 students, about 20.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Senior High | 9-12 | 506 | 19.5 |
| Paradise Ridge Elementary | K-6 | 446 | 26.2 |
| Children's Community Charter (charter) | K-8 | 203 | 22.6 |
| Paradise Junior High | 7-8 | 175 | 17.5 |
| Paradise Charter Middle (charter) | 6-8 | 144 | 20.6 |
| Achieve Charter School of Paradise Inc. (charter) | K-8 | 141 | 20.1 |
| HomeTech Charter (charter) | K-12 | 121 | 15.1 |
| Ridgeview High (Continuation) | 9-12 | 53 | 13.3 |
| Paradise eLearning Academy | K-12 | 46 | 15.3 |
| Honey Run Academy Secondary | 7-12 | — | — |
| Paradise Elementary | K-5 | — | — |
| Paradise Unified Special Education | Other | — | — |
Towns near Paradise
- Magalia, CA4.5 mi · 7,795 people · home $280,600
- Chico, CA11.2 mi · 101,475 people · home $468,100
- Durham, CA13.1 mi · 5,834 people · home $700,100
- Thermalito, CA16.9 mi · 7,198 people · home $254,900
- Kelly Ridge, CA17.3 mi · 3,006 people · home $277,600
- Oroville, CA18.1 mi · 20,042 people · home $311,600
- Oroville East, CA19.2 mi · 8,038 people · home $405,400
- South Oroville, CA19.5 mi · 3,235 people · home $261,500
Paradise questions
Is Paradise, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Paradise scores better for retirees than 80% of California towns and quieter than 81%. 40.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 57.4).
How much does a house cost in Paradise?
The median owner-occupied home in Paradise is valued at $416,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $67,687, so homes cost about 6.1 times income. Median rent is $1,241 a month.
What is the weather like in Paradise?
July highs average 91.3°F and January lows 40.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 56.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does Paradise get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Paradise since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on May 25, 2011. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)