Hmong Population in Butte County, CA by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Hmong population in Butte County, CA is reported at 5,400 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Two cities in Butte County - Oroville and Chico - contribute to most of the Hmong population. The remaining cities report zero, and the county''s total of 5,400 suggests additional rural presence. Below, we explore how this compares with other counties across California.

Top 5 cities with the largest Hmong population in Butte County

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  • 1
    Oroville
    Hmong population in Oroville is 1,712
    8.62% of Oroville population is Hmong
  • 2
    Chico
    Hmong population in Chico is 1,618
    1.59% of Chico population is Hmong
  • 3
    Biggs
    Hmong population in Biggs is 0
    - of Biggs population is Hmong
  • 4
    Gridley
    Hmong population in Gridley is 0
    - of Gridley population is Hmong
  • 5
    Paradise
    Hmong population in Paradise is 0
    - of Paradise population is Hmong

Overview of Hmong population in Butte County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data shows Butte County contains 5,400 Hmong residents (2.6% of 209,470 total county population), ranking the jurisdiction at the 99th percentile nationally among counties and 90th percentile within California for Hmong demographic concentrations across both absolute and proportional measures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS show Butte County's Hmong population of 2.6% surpassing both California's state average of 0.29% and the national average of 0.11%, positioning the county as a high-concentration jurisdiction exceeding demographic benchmarks across all geographic scales.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data documents Butte County with 5,400 Hmong residents, representing 4.7% of California's total Hmong population of 115,076.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey indicate Butte County's density of 3.3 Hmong Americans per square mile exceeds California's average of 0.74 per square mile by four and a half times, establishing the county as a significant concentration center for Hmong demographic communities.
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Butte County Cities Ranked by Hmong Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] indicate 1,712 Hmong residents in Oroville, 1,618 in Chico and zero residents in Biggs, Gridley and Paradise. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for the five incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Butte County, CA ranked by Hmong population count
Rank by Hmong Population
City
Hmong Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Butte County Hmong Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Oroville 1,712 8.62% 31.70%
2 Chico 1,618 1.59% 29.96%
3 Biggs 0 - -
3 Gridley 0 - -
3 Paradise 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Butte County, CA by their Hmong population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Hmong population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Hmong ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Hmong alone, while others identify as Hmong along with another race (such as Hmong and German).
  • We’ve used the “Hmong alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Hmong population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Hmong alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Hmong .
  2. % of Total Butte County Hmong Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Hmong population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Hmong populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Hmong population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Hmong populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.