Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety29#659/924
Economy16#775/925
Housing1#912/925
Health24#707/925
Healthcare34#605/923
Environment81#176/917
Education23#712/925
Infrastructure28#668/925
Community3#894/925
Leisure & amenities12#815/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Drought exposure · low0%
99/100California 9%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high15.8 /10k
93/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Adult obesity · low31.8%
87/100California 30.4%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Job growth · high1.6%
86/100California 0.9%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Preventable hospital stays · low2,236 /100k
76/100California 2,428 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · high1.9 /10k
73/100California 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

New homes permitted · low0.0 /1k
1/100California 2.8 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Distance to an emergency room · high26.3 mi
2/100California 4.3 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Flu vaccinations · low25.0%
2/100California 41.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Social associations · low4.3 /10k
3/100California 6.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high6.5%
3/100California 5.5%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.5 /10k
4/100California 8.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
100% (2021) → 0% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−100 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedWorsening
3.5 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
High ozone daysImproving
3 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
New business applicationsImproving
4.4 /1k (2020) → 8.6 /1k (2025)
+94%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
75.7% (2015-2019) → 88.0% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
32.8% (2015-2019) → 20.9% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

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, Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area improved on 16 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 8 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Poverty−6.5 points22.1% → 15.6%
Child poverty−12 points32.8% → 20.9%
Household income+43%$44,514 → $63,784
New businesses+94%4.4 /1k → 8.6 /1k
Grocery stores+22%1.5 /10k → 1.9 /10k

Declined2

Overdose deaths+71%18.0 /100k → 30.8 /100k
Suicides+9.3%18.3 /100k → 20.0 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.4 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	61%
Average commute time	23.4 min2015-2019	23.4 min2020-2024	+0.0 min	Within the margin of error	64%
Average weekly wage	$9382020	$1,1562025	+23%	Improved	50%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.7%2015-2019	19.3%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Improved	70%
Broadband subscriptions	75.7%2015-2019	88.0%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	80%
Child poverty rate	32.8%2015-2019	20.9%2020-2024	−12 points	Improved	97%
Distance to an airport	104 mi2020	104 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	18.0 /100k2020	30.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+71%	Declined	6%
Effective property tax rate	0.71%2015-2019	0.65%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Firearm deaths	18.3 /100k2020	14.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−22%	Improved	84%
Grocery stores	1.5 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+22%	Improved	91%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.3 /10k2020	0.3 /10k2025	+1.7%	Little change	47%
High school diploma or higher	84.5%2015-2019	87.2%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Home price to income ratio	4.9×2015-2019	5.3×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	46%
Homicide rate	7.8 /100k2020	3.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−60%	Improved	85%
Income adjusted for local prices	$39,1502019	$53,3822024	+36%	Improved	78%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4662015-2019	0.5002020-2024	+0.034	Within the margin of error	4%
Median household income	$44,5142015-2019	$63,7842020-2024	+43%	Improved	98%
New business applications	4.4 /1k2020	8.6 /1k2025	+94%	Improved	93%
Pharmacies	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+1.7%	Little change	77%
Poverty rate	22.1%2015-2019	15.6%2020-2024	−6.5 points	Improved	99%
Property crime rate	2,001 /100k2020	1,276 /100k2025	−36%	Improved	56%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	+0.6%	Little change	68%
Rent as share of income	33.8%2015-2019	33.3%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Rent-burdened households	58.2%2015-2019	56.1%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Restaurants and bars	6.4 /10k2020	6.6 /10k2025	+4.1%	Little change	63%
Suicide rate	18.3 /100k2020	20.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+9.3%	Declined	39%
Traffic deaths	28.8 /100k2015-2019	24.2 /100k2020-2024	−16%	Improved	84%
Unemployment rate	8.8%2020	6.5%2025	−2.3 points	Improved	32%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.8%2015-2019	8.1%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Violent crime rate	537 /100k2020	468 /100k2025	−13%	Improved	44%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area 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, Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area itself moved +4 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

65,167 residents

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

24,788 households (±471)

Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k17%4,119
$25k–50k23%5,777
$50k–75k16%4,061

Homes

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

Owners and renters

24,788 households (±471)

Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area
United States share

Own67%16,640
Rent33%8,148

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

25,059 workers (±792)

Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone77%19,192
Carpool10.0%2,496
Public transit0.1%†32

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area.

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.

Red Bluff, CA has 999 employer establishments, 154 for every 10,000 residents (0.62× the US rate of 248), with 13,620 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,987. The Census Bureau also counts 3,564 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 999; 3,564 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 154; US 248
Paid employees: 13,620
Average annual pay: $57,987; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Red Bluff, CA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	94	14.5	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,061	$23,612	21
Specialty trade contractors	83	12.8	0.82×About typical	384	$107,688	243
Ambulatory health care services	58	8.9	0.43×Fewer than typical	739	$57,877	97
Full-service restaurants	47	7.2	0.94×About typical	343	$25,965	6
Truck transportation	41	6.3	1.25×About typical	455	$77,097	129
Construction of buildings	40	6.1	0.81×About typical	102	$53,578	142
Lessors of real estate	38	5.8	0.47×Fewer than typical	77	$48,506	212
Gasoline stations	32	4.9	1.52×More than typical	363	$36,512	—
Limited-service restaurants	30	4.6	0.58×Fewer than typical	567	$21,818	10
Automotive repair and maintenance	29	4.5	0.89×About typical	243	$50,897	55
Building equipment contractors	27	4.2	0.69×Fewer than typical	134	$57,269	37
Child day care services	23	3.5	1.45×More than typical	132	$27,106	124

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 65,048 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $15.5M on contracts performed in Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area: $240 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $15.5M; −49% vs FY2025
Per resident: $240; US $1,994
Sole-source: 3.7%; US 30%
Single offer: 66%; 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

P.J. HELICOPTERS, INC.$9.9M64%
FORGEN LLC$2.8M18%
NORTHWEST MARINE TECHNOLOGY, INC.$500.8K3.2%
CXT INC$308.9K2.0%
DELUNA, JOHN$260K1.7%
S.T.RHOADES CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED

Spending by fiscal year

8MFY2017
11.5MFY2018
16.5MFY2019
18.2MFY2020
10.3MFY2021
17.7MFY2022
25.6MFY2023
32.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$9.9M64%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$2.8M18%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$597.8K3.9%
Architectural and structural metals manufacturing · 3323$308.9K2.0%
Utility system construction · 2371$285.7K1.8%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$236.1K

Largest awards

BATTLE CREEK - SOUTH DIVERSION DAM AND CANAL REMOVAL$18.5M
FORGEN LLC· Tehama County, CA· Construction & real property· Aug 27, 2025 – Sep 10, 2026· 140R2025C0011
0716-073126 N258PJ PKG-72254$1.9M
P.J. HELICOPTERS, INC.· Tehama County, CA· Facilities & utilities· Jul 16, 2026 – Jul 16, 2026· 1202SA26M0890
REPLACE WATER STORAGE TANK AT MINERAL HEADQUARTERS, LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK, TEHAMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.$1.6M
RTA CONSTRUCTION, INC· Tehama County, CA· Construction & real property· Sep 20, 2024 – Feb 27, 2026· 140P8424C0010
REPLACE WATER STORAGE TANKS AT DRAKESBAD AND KYVC, LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK, TEHAMA AND PLUMAS COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA.

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $425.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area: $6,577 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $425.3M; +1.1% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,577; US $12,955
Loan face value: $23.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$243.4M57%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$37.1M8.7%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$36.6M8.6%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$29.2M6.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$24.3M5.7%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$18.7M4.4%
93.600 · Head Start$5.4M1.3%
20.272 · Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)$4.5M1.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA$45M11%
SACRAMENTO, CA
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHILD DEVELOPMENT, INC.$5.4M1.3%
RED BLUFF, CA
GREENVILLE RANCHERIA TRIBAL HEALTH PROGRAM$1.5M0.4%
GREENVILLE, CA
PASKENTA BAND OF NOMLAKI INDIANS$1.4M0.3%
CORNING, CA
JACKSON LASSEN COMMUNITY PARTNERS, LP

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$323.6M76%
Federal Highway Administration$45.1M11%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$34.1M8.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$6.2M1.5%
Department of Agriculture
Administration for Children and Families

Assistance by fiscal year

379MFY2021
371.6MFY2022
422.4MFY2023
412.3MFY2024
420.5MFY2025
425.3MFY2026

County aggregates

84%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Red Bluff, CA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Tehama CountyCentral county2064,665

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Red BluffPrincipal city14,549

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in California

Areas based in California, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M39780

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined2

Metro and micro areas like Red Bluff, CA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Red Bluff, CA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in California

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined2

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought