Census-designated place · Colusa County, California

Arbuckle, California

Arbuckle is a census-designated place in Colusa County, California. It has 3,093 residents. Arbuckle, California has a quality-of-life score of 22 out of 100 (low), ranking #12,188 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #692 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on job growth (high), drought exposure (low) and grocery stores (high). It ranks worst on new business applications (low), hospital quality rating (low) and high school diploma or higher (low).

22Low

Quality-of-life score: #12,188 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #692 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 3,093 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,758.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 0602420

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety62#5,898/15,637
Economy72#4,317/15,631
Housing12#13,168/14,977
Health43#8,829/15,609
Healthcare13#13,554/15,650
Environment51#7,575/15,453
Education1#15,465/15,649
Infrastructure32#10,600/15,650
Community7#14,488/15,651
Leisure & amenities44#8,817/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Arbuckle, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Colusa County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Job growth · high5.8%
99/100California 0.9%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataColusa County value
Drought exposure · low0%
98/100California 9%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAColusa County value
Grocery stores · high3.7 /10k
97/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsColusa County value
Public libraries · high3.2 /10k
96/100California 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesColusa County value
Public EV charging ports · high18.8 /10k
94/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyColusa County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100California 3.7 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataColusa County value

Weaknesses

New business applications · low6.5 /1k
1/100California 14.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauColusa County value
Hospital quality rating · low1.0
1/100California 3.1United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesColusa County value
High school diploma or higher · low69.4%
2/100California 84.7%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Natural hazard risk · high98.6
2/100California 87.32025Federal Emergency Management AgencyColusa County value
Traffic deaths · high34.6 /100k
5/100California 10.7 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataColusa County value
Preventable hospital stays · high4,276 /100k
6/100California 2,428 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteColusa County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
3,809 (2015-2019) → 3,093 (2020-2024)
−19%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
High school diploma or higherImproving
51.0% (2015-2019) → 69.4% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
27.3% (2015-2019) → 44.2% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
13.1% (2015-2019) → 2.4% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
9.1% (2015-2019) → 3.4% (2020-2024)
−5.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Average commute timeImproving
28.3 min (2015-2019) → 21.2 min (2020-2024)
−25%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Arbuckle, California improved on 2 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

High school++18 points51.0% → 69.4%
Household income+24%$69,893 → $86,942

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Arbuckle, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	28.3 min2015-2019	21.2 min2020-2024	−7.0 min	Within the margin of error	95%
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.8%2015-2019	9.4%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Broadband subscriptions	80.8%2015-2019	83.7%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Effective property tax rate	0.97%2015-2019	0.74%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	64%
High school diploma or higher	51.0%2015-2019	69.4%2020-2024	+18 points	Improved	99%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	4.5×2020-2024	+0.8×	Within the margin of error	33%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3912015-2019	0.3292020-2024	−0.062	Within the margin of error	88%
Median household income	$69,8932015-2019	$86,9422020-2024	+24%	Improved	43%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent-burdened households	27.3%2015-2019	44.2%2020-2024	+17 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	15.3%2015-2019	11.6%2020-2024	−3.7 points	Within the margin of error	81%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Arbuckle, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Arbuckle, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Arbuckle, California itself moved +1.2 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

3,093 residents (±668)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

878 households (±209)

Arbuckle, California
California share

Under $25k12%†109
$25k–50k9.1%†80
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

878 households (±209)

Arbuckle, California
California share

Own76%663
Rent24%†215

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+15.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,520 workers (±407)

Arbuckle, California
California share

Drive alone82%†1,239
Carpool14%†213
Public transit

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Colusa County, the county holding most of Arbuckle's residents.

Colusa County has 417 employer establishments, 189 for every 10,000 residents (0.76× the US rate of 248; 0.72× California's), with 4,552 paid employees at an average annual pay of $58,281. The Census Bureau also counts 1,086 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 417; 1,086 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 189; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 4,552
Average annual pay: $58,281; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Colusa County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	41	18.6	3.68×More than typical	229	$88,838	98
Restaurants and other eating places	32	14.5	0.79×Fewer than typical	391	$27,808	6
Specialty trade contractors	22	10	0.64×Fewer than typical	80	$74,325	66
Lessors of real estate	19	8.6	0.70×Fewer than typical	56	$65,107	103
Ambulatory health care services	15	6.8	0.33×Fewer than typical	88	$61,580	15
Limited-service restaurants	15	6.8	0.85×About typical	129	$23,581	—
Full-service restaurants	14	6.3	0.83×About typical	219	$31,959	4
Construction of buildings	13	5.9	0.78×Fewer than typical	61	$67,541	31
Gasoline stations	13	5.9	1.82×More than typical	106	$31,217	—
Grocery and convenience stores	13	5.9	1.99×More than typical	151	$27,609	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	11	5	0.99×About typical	44	$52,659	31
Religious organizations	11	5	0.90×About typical	33	$18,879	—

Rank places for an industry Open Colusa County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 22,052 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Arbuckle, California: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

730.7FY2017
41.8KFY2018
-722.7FY2019
1.2KFY2020
635.4FY2021
1.7KFY2024
909.7FY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Arbuckle, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Arbuckle, California's figures are part of those of Colusa County, CA ($134K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Arbuckle is mostly in Colusa County.

See federal money in Colusa County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Arbuckle, California is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

James GallagherR-CA-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 93%Missed 6.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Colusa County29100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Colusa County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0602420

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends