Median Income
$65,932
household / year
Median Home Value
$427,600
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,360
gross / month
Cost of Living
105
national avg = 100

Is Chico, CA a Good Place to Live?

Chico is a mid-sized city of 102,790 in California, with a median household income of $65,932 and a 6.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 105 (US average = 100), which is 5% above the national average.

Strengths: Chico stands out for solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Chico is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Chico city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 104.6

Chico's overall cost of living index is 104.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Chico costs roughly 5% more than the average American city.

Metric Chico, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $427,600 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,360 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 44.1% 65.9%
Median Household Income $65,932 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Higher than Average

Chico's violent crime rate is 699.2 per 100,000 residents — 84% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
699.2 /100k
Property Crime
1898.2 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Chico is served primarily by Inspire School of Arts and Sciences District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Chico, CA National Avg
School District Inspire School of Arts and Sciences District —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools 1 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 14.9:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 41.3% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 93.2% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Chico sees average highs of 56.1°F in January and 95.2°F in July, with 28.3 inches of annual precipitation and 0.1 inches of snow per year.

MetricChico, CA
Average High — January56.1°F
Average High — July95.2°F
Annual Precipitation28.3"
Annual Snowfall0.1"

Demographics

MetricChico, CANational Avg
Population102,790—
Median Age30.438.9
Unemployment Rate6.9%3.7%
Avg Commute Time17.5 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)75.1%59.3%
Black or African American2.1%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino11.3%18.9%
Asian5.2%6.3%
Under 1818.7%22.2%
65 and over13.5%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Butte Creek Canyon, CA 6 mi Nord, CA 7 mi Durham, CA 9 mi Hamilton City, CA 10 mi Cohasset, CA 11 mi

ZIP Codes in Chico

Chico, CA is covered by 2 ZIP codes:

95926 95929

Chico vs Other Cities

Chico, CA vs Butte Creek Canyon, CA Chico, CA vs Nord, CA Chico, CA vs Durham, CA Chico, CA vs Hamilton City, CA Chico, CA vs Cohasset, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Chico's cost of living index is 105, where 100 is the national average. That puts Chico roughly 5% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $427,600 and median rent is $1,360/month.
Chico's violent crime rate is 699.2 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1898.2 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Chico are operated by Inspire School of Arts and Sciences District. The district has several elementary, several middle, and 1 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.9:1. 41.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Chico, CA has a population of 102,790, a median household income of $65,932, and an unemployment rate of 6.9%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Chico averages 56.1°F in January and 95.2°F in July. Annual rainfall is 28.3 inches with about 0.1 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Chico, CA is covered by 2 ZIP codes: 95926, 95929.
The population of Chico, California is 102,790 with a median age of 30.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Chico: cost of living index 105 (100 = US average), median home $427,600, median household income $65,932, crime index 147 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated A-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Chico side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.