Forest Ranch, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Forest Ranch, California
Unincorporated community
Location of Forest Ranch in Butte County, California.
Forest Ranch, California Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Butte County
Area
• Total	13.923 sq mi (36.060 km2)
• Land	13.923 sq mi (36.060 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation	2,415 ft (736 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,304
• Density	93.66/sq mi (36.162/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code	95942
Area code(s)	530
GNIS feature IDs	260256; 2612481

Forest Ranch is a small community in Butte County, California. It is not a city, but an unincorporated community. This means it doesn't have its own city government.

Forest Ranch has its own school, the Forest Ranch Charter School (for grades K-8). It also has a post office and fire stations run by the CDF and volunteers. The community shares its ZIP code (95942) with Butte Meadows. The phone area code is 530. In 2020, about 1,304 people lived in Forest Ranch.

In July 2024, a wildfire called the Park Fire affected the community. Some buildings were damaged, but most of Forest Ranch was saved.

Location and Elevation

Forest Ranch is located about 2,415 feet (736 meters) above sea level. The eastern part of the community is even higher, around 3,500 feet (1,000 meters). Because of its elevation, residents sometimes get "snowed in." This means heavy snowfall can make it hard to drive for a few days each year, especially for homes not on State Route 32. Many people who live in Forest Ranch travel to work in Chico, which is about 15 miles west on State Route 32.

History of Forest Ranch

Forest Ranch has an interesting past. Its post office first opened in 1878. It closed for a while in 1926 but reopened in 1932. The post office building has moved several times since then.

Early Days and Lumber

Around 1873, a lumber mill was built in Forest Ranch by Elias Findley. This mill helped the community grow. In the mid-1870s, a couple named Mr. and Mrs. Weld took over Findley's home. They offered a place for travelers and their teams of animals to rest along the Humboldt Wagon Road.

Community Life in the 1890s

In the 1890s, Forest Ranch was a lively place. It had an active literary society, which means people gathered to read and discuss books. The local school also hosted regular performances and sports events for everyone in the community to enjoy. Today, Forest Ranch is mostly a "bedroom community." This means many residents live there but travel to nearby Chico for work.

Population and People

Forest Ranch was first counted as a "census-designated place" in the 2010 U.S. Census. This means it's a specific area the government counts for population data.

How Many People Live Here?

According to the 2010 United States Census, Forest Ranch had 1,184 people. Most of the people living there were White (94.3%). There were also smaller numbers of African American, Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander residents. About 4.4% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

All 1,184 people lived in homes, not in group housing or institutions.

Homes and Families

There were 520 households in Forest Ranch. About 22.7% of these households had children under 18 living in them. Most households (61.0%) were married couples. The average household had 2.28 people. There were 362 families, with an average of 2.65 people per family.

Age Groups

The population of Forest Ranch includes people of all ages. In 2010:

• 17.7% were under 18 years old.
• 4.6% were aged 18 to 24.
• 19.3% were aged 25 to 44.
• 41.9% were aged 45 to 64.
• 16.5% were 65 years or older.

The average age in Forest Ranch was 50.0 years. For every 100 females, there were about 99.3 males.

Housing

There were 598 housing units in Forest Ranch. Most of these homes (86.0%) were owned by the people living in them. The rest (14.0%) were rented. This means most people in Forest Ranch own their homes.

Images for kids

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  Location of Forest Ranch in Butte County, California.

See also

In Spanish: Forest Ranch para niños