RANK #340 / 1001 NAT · #13 / 43 CA · POP 98,857
1YR FORECAST: -0.3%
5YR OUTLOOK: +19%
Sutter County, located in California's Central Valley, is distinguished by the Sutter Buttes, often called the "world's smallest mountain range," which rise abruptly from the otherwise flat agricultural landscape. The county seat, Yuba City, sits about 40 miles north of Sacramento. Commute options to Sacramento include express bus services. Bordered by the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, the county offers outdoor recreation like fishing, boating, and birdwatching in areas such as the Sutter National Wildlife Refuge and Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. The community maintains a rural feel, with a focus on agriculture.
Life in Sutter County offers a rural lifestyle with access to services and proximity to the Sacramento metropolitan area. The public schools in Sutter County are highly rated. The local economy is largely driven by its agricultural heritage, with significant production of peaches, rice, and walnuts. Recent economic developments show investment in commercial, residential, and healthcare sectors, with Yuba City experiencing growth in new home permits and retail options. Sutter County has been recognized as one of California's fastest-growing counties.
Sutter County is one of 78 U.S. counties in this market profile — stronger than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of +0.5% runs above the profile's typical -0.8%.
See all 78 Western Premium Correction counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Well below national median
Moderate climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 22.7x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: Homicide rates from CDC/NCHS vital-statistics mortality data — a multi-year average that stabilizes counts in smaller counties — compiled in the County Health Rankings 2025 release. Rates per 100,000 population; U.S. average ≈ 6.5. Grade reflects homicide rate relative to the national average. Learn more →
See where Sutter County stands nationally: safest large counties in America · highest homicide-rate counties.
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Sutter Health Ambulatory Projects (Multiple Sites)
Sutter Health
|
$1,000M | Under Construction |
|
Sutter Decarbonization Project (Sutter Energy Center Carbon Capture)
Calpine Corp-Sutter
|
$500M | Proposed |
|
Sutter Pointe Specific Plan (Master-Planned Community)
Sutter County
|
$500M | Planned |
|
Skylight Renewable Energy (Solar and Battery Storage)
Skylight Renewable Energy
|
$200M | Proposed |
|
Lakeside at Sutter Pointe (Phase 1 Residential & Commercial)
Lennar Homes
|
$175M | Under Construction |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 66/100, Sutter County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. Employment is expanding at +0.7%, and median household income stands at $79,704 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in CA.
Sutter County leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $433,500 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.18 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $1,439/month on average.
Population and employment in Sutter County are both close to flat — population -0.1% YoY and jobs +0.7%. Home values shifted +0.5% over the past 12 months. A steady-state county, neither expanding quickly nor shrinking.
In significant numbers — 5.3% of Sutter County's current population relocated from another state, well above the national norm. That level of in-migration usually signals a county where jobs, affordability, or quality of life are pulling people in from elsewhere.