The Town FilesSutter, California
Community in Sutter County · population 2,997 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $408,500
- Household income
- $96,173
- Jan low / Jul high
- 38° / 96°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 41.9
Sutter is a community of 2,997 people in Sutter County, California. The median home is worth $408,500, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 96% of California towns, quieter than 82% of California towns, better for families than 76% of California towns.
How Sutter 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 Sutter is worth $408,500, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.2 times the median household income of $96,173, which is more affordable than 89% of California towns. Median rent is $1,764 a month. 77.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sutter | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $408,500 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,764 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $96,173 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.2× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 77.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Sutter
| People | Sutter | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 21.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 9.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.7% | — |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 24.2 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Sutter
July highs average 96.2°F and January lows 38.2°F. About 20.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 99 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 23 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sutter since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on October 22, 2012 about 8.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 2, 2019.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.25 inches on May 5, 2016.
Severe weather in Sutter County since 1996
Sutter County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3428: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Sutter County
Sutter County had 32,774 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,174 a year. Unemployment was 7.8% in 2023; in Sutter itself the ACS puts it at 7.7%.
Public schools in Sutter
3 public schools with 1,290 students, about 20.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sutter High | 9-12 | 768 | 21.9 |
| Brittan Elementary | K-8 | 495 | 20.6 |
| Butte View High | 9-12 | 27 | 9.0 |
Towns near Sutter
- Yuba City, CA6.0 mi · 70,117 people · home $434,600
- Marysville, CA8.9 mi · 12,844 people · home $292,300
- Live Oak, CA9.7 mi · 9,106 people · home $350,700
- Linda, CA11.3 mi · 21,654 people · home $371,700
- Olivehurst, CA11.6 mi · 16,595 people · home $384,500
- Colusa, CA14.3 mi · 6,411 people · home $375,000
- Gridley, CA14.6 mi · 7,421 people · home $312,800
- Plumas Lake, CA15.9 mi · 8,126 people · home $555,300
Sutter questions
Is Sutter, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sutter scores better for retirees than 61% of California towns and quieter than 82%. 21.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.9).
How much does a house cost in Sutter?
The median owner-occupied home in Sutter is valued at $408,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $96,173, so homes cost about 4.2 times income. Median rent is $1,764 a month.
What is the weather like in Sutter?
July highs average 96.2°F and January lows 38.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Sutter get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sutter since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on October 22, 2012. 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)