This Town Will Grow On You, For Certain! - 4/30/2022

We have lived here for 15 years now and have come to love it here. There are good and bad places everywhere and to be honest, in comparison to some other municipalities I routinely travel through, it simply is not that bad. I would suggest however, that if you wish to avoid the unsavory neighborhoods, stay out of South Oroville. It's just a small portion of the town and actually it's not THAT bad it's just that there are probably more drugs and crime in that area. It's a shame though because Southside Oroville actually has some really beautiful homes in it-- problem is those nice spots are surrounded by homes with trash filled yards and the like. Anyway, enough about the bad. The good is plentiful; from the beautiful views from the world renowned Oroville Dam spillway, the lovely windy backroads in the foothills that lead everywhere, the ever improving old timey feel of the Downtown area storefronts and restaurants (including the newly renovated State Theatre) and so much more. Let's not forget the Native American owned & operated casinos-- huge favorites of the locals! We have personally stayed in the onsite hotels in both the Gold Country Casino & Feather Falls Casino and the rooms are nothing short of spectacular. Gold Country is our favorite-- they usually will upgrade your room to a suite for no charge (no promises though lol) and the jacuzzi tubs are the best. Both casinos have onsite campgrounds that include every amenity imaginable. There are summertime concerts in the park at the Riverbend Park that is situated along the Feather River, just off highway 70 as well as gazebos and barbecue pits to enjoy. The restaurants are pretty decent; some I can recommend would be: Mike's Grande Burger, The Cow, Oroville Tacos & Burritos plus more fast food joints than you can imagine. The schooling is subpar, however. Not long ago, the schooling situation was something that could be bragged about but now (especially since COVID), with the shortage of teaching staff, kids seem to have been left behind in this regard (whatever happened to "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND"!).... There are 2 regular public high schools and more than one public charter school and they all leave a lot to be desired. The charter school unfortunately was forced to send all the high school students to do independent study this year and I have seen firsthand what kind of devastation this has had on the students. The middle and elementary schools have been on the decline as well. Housing prices are currently in the black and rental prices seem to be leveling off some. Gas is pretty cheap comparatively speaking; we have not paid more than $4.99/gal during this nationwide gas crunch. Oroville is also the county seat which for many rural towns across America brings a sense of pride. If you made it this far, thank you for reading my review! I hope this helps you.

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Always on the verge of improvement - 9/1/2011

Can be a tough little town for some. Highway 70 improvements may help to bring this town up in terms of economy, culture, lifestyle. When the skilled workers left after completing the Oroville Dam in the late 60s, unskilled laborers were left behind. The town is still trying to recover from this poor demographic which pervades the town to this day. Few jobs so young people leave. The Feather River does pass right through Oroville. The irony is that 30 miles north is the excellent town of Chico, CA.

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Little town Big Adventures - 1/19/2010

If you like to Hike, Bike, Fish or Swim, maybe just lazy around some breath taking veiws, then this place is for you! Lake Oroville boasts some of the best bass fishing holes in the state! We also have unmatched salmon and steelhead fishing in the Feather River. If Fishing is not you're thing, Forbes Town is known for producing some big white tailes! All around the town you could find that secret spot to call ur own! Maybe a trail that hasn't been walk in some time? Or a waterfall that hasn't been explored? For being such a small town this place has a ton to do when it comes to the outdoors.

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Tired - 7/19/2008

I have lived here most of my life it is a ok little town beutiful lake wages are horrible rent is to high welfare capital of the US crime rate is high for such a small town

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Oroville is on a good roll. - 2/21/2008

Oroville is on an incredible roll in the midst of the national housing crisis. Here is just a short list of what is going on. The free brand new Riverbend Park with boat ramp to the world famous Feather River (goes to the ocean!) lots of fun stuff for the kids including swimming, frisbee, soccer field (plan) rock climbing, sprinklers, picnic areas, pavillions, on and on. The historic downtown is being revitalized (State Theatre is being remodeled, new walking trails along the river, historic homes being remodeled, new hip looking shops are opening. There is now a newly widen and straightened road to world famous Bucks Lake. World famous Lake Oroville is getting new campgrounds and boat docs. A white water park is being planned and they already do white water on the occassional weekends on the Feather River. New 4 land hiway to the wonderful University town of Chico (20 miles away). New road work to make the commute to Sacramento easier. Bay area is only 3 hours away. We have 2 large modeern casinos (I don't gamble) that brings world known musical talent in weekly. Fun to take your guests there. Each casino is expanding having purchased lots of land around their casino (koa, swimming, hotels, etc). Walking trails (near water) are everywhere in the greater Oroville area. New Home Depot, new Applebees (this week!). Weather is overall excellent (occassional hot days then cools off again) and you can grow anything here. To summarize, affordable land/homes, growing culturally and close to culture (Chico, Sacramento, Bay Area). Negative: education could be improved but my daughter seems to be enjoying herself in high school and I feel like she will be fine in the "real world".

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Housing still reasonable by Northern California st - 4/20/2006

I moved to Oroville in summer of '98. Nice, smaller community at the edge of foothills of northern Sierra Nevadas. Even though housing costs have increased dramatically over the last few years, it is still a good value by comparison to nearby metros of Sacramento and San Francisco. Also an excellent area to invest in residential income properties which don't linger on the market as long as single family homes. Lake Oroville and the Feather River offer excellent recreational opportunities for residents and visitors and visitors alike.

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