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City · 6,720 residents · Butte County, California

Thermalito , California

In Thermalito, a typical home is worth $254,900 and typical rent is $1,178 a month. Compared with all of Butte County, the typical home value is 40% lower, typical household income is 19% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 12 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $254,900

    40% below the county

    65% below California

    • Thermalito
    • Butte
    • California

  • Typical rent

    $1,178a month

    17% below the county

    42% below California

    • Thermalito
    • Butte
    • California

  • Typical household income

    $54,865a year

    19% below the county

    45% below California

    • Thermalito
    • Butte
    • California

  • Households that own their home

    69%

    12 points above the county

    13 points above California

    • Thermalito
    • Butte
    • California

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Thermalito is in Butte County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Butte County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Thermalito apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Thermalito has the 25th lowest typical home value of the 654 cities in California with more than 5,000 people ($254,900).

  2. The typical household income in Thermalito is $54,865, 19% less than in Butte County as a whole ($67,928).

  3. 69% of households in Thermalito own their home, against 57% in Butte County.

  4. The typical rent in Thermalito is $1,178 a month, 17% less than in Butte County as a whole ($1,414).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Thermalito

What homes there are in Thermalito, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses, standing on their own, make up 72% of homes here, against 61% in Butte County.

In Thermalito there are many mobile homes: 17% of homes; in Butte County, 10%.

Year built

Homes in Thermalito are older: the typical year built is 1969; in Butte County, 1981.

By size, homes in Thermalito look like those in Butte County: 53% have 3 bedrooms or more.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,611 a month

Butte County: $2,187 a month

Without a mortgage

$480 a month

Butte County: $689 a month

Owners with a mortgage

52%

Butte County: 58%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Thermalito is $1,611 a month, less than in Butte County ($2,187); without one, $480.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, home values in Thermalito rose at about the same pace as in Butte County: 56% against 56%.

Rent in Thermalito moved so little since 2015–2019 that the Census cannot say whether it rose or fell.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureThermalitoButte CountyCaliforniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate5.9%4.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.6%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room 9.3%3.8%8.2%3.4%
People per household 2.952.422.842.53
Drive alone 85%72%66%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate9%10%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate4%3%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate13%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

In Thermalito, 9.3% of households live with more than one person per room, against 3.8% in Butte County.

Households in Thermalito are bigger: 2.95 people on average; in Butte County, 2.42.

The car rules in Thermalito: 85% of workers drive to work alone, and the typical trip takes 10 to 19 minutes.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Thermalito?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Thermalito, worth $254,900, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 44% of the typical household income in Thermalito, which is $54,865 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $86,873 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Butte County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Thermalito. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $8,922 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$2,027

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$250,283
Total interest
$360,098
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $4,305 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,280 a month

  • Tight

    $1,280 to $1,646 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,646 a month

    Your payment · 44%

Compared with the typical household income in Thermalito ($54,865 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$2,027
Principal & interest$1,696
Property tax$113
Home insurance$106
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$113

You need at least $8,922 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Thermalito and Butte County

Thermalito is in Butte County, California. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Thermalito's own numbers

Typical home value
$254,900
Typical monthly rent
$1,178
Typical yearly household income
$54,865
Households that own their home
69%
Effective property tax rate
0.53%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Butte County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,509
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+23%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
5.6%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Butte County.

Everything about Butte County

Buying

Buying a home in Thermalito

A typical home in Thermalito is worth $254,900: 40% below the county and 65% below California. With the typical household income in Thermalito ($54,865 a year), a typical home costs 4.6 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Thermalito 4.6 years
  • Butte 6.3 years
  • California 7.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Butte County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Butte County rose 74% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Butte County.

Period County California U.S.
Last year (2025) +0.5% +0.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +23% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +74% +80% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Thermalito next to Butte County, California and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Thermalito $254,900
  • Butte $424,700
  • California $734,700
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Thermalito $1,178
  • Butte $1,414
  • California $2,036
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Thermalito $54,865
  • Butte $67,928
  • California $99,122
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Thermalito next to Butte County and California
Measure Thermalito Butte County California U.S.
Typical home value $254,900 $424,700 $734,700 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,178 $1,414 $2,036 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $54,865 $67,928 $99,122 $80,734
Households that own their home 69% 57% 56% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,341 $2,951 $5,124 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.53% 0.69% 0.7% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 50% 60% 55% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Butte County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Thermalito

For a typical $254,900 home in Thermalito, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Thermalito's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $2,027a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $8,922
    Cash to close
    $16,569
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $113

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,980a month

    Down payment
    $12,745
    Cash to close
    $20,392
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $121

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,600a month

    Down payment
    $50,980
    Cash to close
    $58,627
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,836a month

    Down payment
    $38,235
    Cash to close
    $45,882
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Thermalito and for Butte County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Thermalito

0.53%of the home’s value each year

$1,341 a year for the typical owner in Thermalito.

  • Thermalito 0.53%
  • Butte 0.69%
  • California 0.7%

What California publishes Homeowners' exemption (California State Board of Equalization (BOE))

Exemptions and deadlines in California

Flood risk in Butte County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Butte County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
5.6%
4,026
Of those, with NFIP insurance
22%
County California U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 5.6% 2.8% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 22% 31% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Thermalito

Typical rent in Thermalito is $1,178 a month: 17% below the county. In Thermalito, 50% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Butte County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,509 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $29.02 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Butte County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,064 $20.46 $42,560
1 bedroom $1,190 $22.88 $47,600
2 bedrooms $1,509 $29.02 $60,360
3 bedrooms $2,090 $40.19 $83,600
4 bedrooms $2,522 $48.50 $100,880

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Thermalito

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Thermalito is in ZIP code 95965.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,470: $39 less than the fair market rent for Butte County ($1,509).

  • 95965 $1,470$2,040

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Thermalito when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Thermalito

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Butte County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A man smiles on a bench outside his apartment building.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Thermalito

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Thermalito or Butte County. The ones below are statewide in California: they work in Thermalito the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in California

  • MyHome Assistance Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers in California. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan

    Statewide in California

    Closed, per the source

    CalHFA down payment loan for first-generation buyers in California; when you sell, you repay the loan plus a share of the home's appreciation. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Shared appreciation

    See the program Official page

  • MyAccess Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers who use the CalPLUS Access mortgage (FHA or conventional). Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Thermalito

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Thermalito, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • The Greater Sacramento Urban League

    3725 Marysville Blvd, Sacramento · 61 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 5 more
    (916) 286-8652

  • Greater Sacramento Urban League-Oak Park

    2331 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento · 66 miles away · Spanish

    • Budget and credit workshops
    • Homelessness services
    • and 4 more
    (916) 286-8652

  • Sacramento Neighborhood Housing Services Inc Aka Formally Known As Neighborworks Homeownership Center Sacramento Region

    2411 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento · 66 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in other languages.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 8 more
    (916) 452-5356

All counseling agencies in California

Help in Spanish near Thermalito

3 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Thermalito

HUD’s record names them for Thermalito or Butte County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • County of Butte HSG Auth Public housing and Section 8 vouchers (530) 895-4474

All housing agencies in California Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Butte County

These cities are also in Butte County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Butte County Housing in California

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Thermalito, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Butte County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Thermalito.

All guides
A man and two girls read a book together on the sofa.

Questions

Housing questions about Thermalito

Short answers with the numbers for Thermalito and all of Butte County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Thermalito?

The typical home value in Thermalito is $254,900, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Butte County it is $424,700.

How much does it cost to rent in Thermalito?

Typical rent in Thermalito is $1,178 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Butte County is $1,509.

What is the FHA loan limit in Thermalito?

Thermalito uses the FHA limit for all of Butte County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Thermalito?

The typical homeowner in Thermalito pays $1,341 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.53% of the home’s value; in Butte County, the rate is 0.69%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Thermalito?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Butte County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).