Cities around the North State are being recognized in a number of different categories. The “World Atlas” is calling Mount Shasta one of the nine prettiest towns in Northern California. The community is known for its namesake volcano, as well as the headwaters of the Sacramento River. Dunsmuir is being cited by the “World Atlas” as one of the nine off-the-grid California towns to visit in 2026. The city is described as “simple” and “friendly” where there are no traffic lights or parking meters. Its other features include the Dunsmuir Botanical Garden and the area’s twelve waterfalls. Paradise in Butte County is being labeled by the “World Atlas” as a place where people are moving to in Northern California. The Department of Finance says that city has the largest housing-driven population of any community in the state. The Camp Fire destroyed large portions of Paradise in 2018 but it has been re-building since then. And despite a lot of talk about large numbers of people moving out of the Golden State, the San Francisco Chronicle recently published a story that showed Chico’s population has grown by 25% over the past fifteen years. Some of that increase may have been due to the Camp Fire, with residents moving from Paradise to Chico.
-John Oertel