Best Places to Live in Chico, California

Chico, California is an amazing city located in Northern California. It's known for its beautiful parklands, vibrant culture, and lively downtown area. Visitors can take advantage of outdoor activities like hiking at Bidwell Park or biking along the Sacramento River Trail to explore the local area. Culture buffs can visit places like the National Yo-Yo Museum or the Gateway Science Museum to gain insight into local culture. After exploring, sample delicious food from restaurants like Burgers & Brew or The Banshee Restaurant and Bar. With so much to offer, Chico is a great place to visit for an unforgettable experience! Small town/College town - Northern California, northeastern portion of the Central Valley at the foot of the Sierra range..

State: California
County: Butte County
Metro Area: Chico Metro Area
City: Chico

Zip Codes: 95926 95928 95973
Cost of Living: 14.5% higher
Time zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Elevation: 230 ft above sea level

Pros
Some college-town amenities
Mild winters
Nearby mountains

Cons
Isolation
High unemployment
Low ethnic diversity

What Bert Has To Say About Chico Metro Area

Chico is home to a major campus of the California State University and a variety of agricultural activities. Nearby mountains, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Lake Almanor offer outdoor recreation. “Chico State” as the school is known locally brings a few college amenities to the area but it falls short of description as a classic college town. While summers can be unbearably hot and dry, winters are pleasant and many outdoor activities can be pursued throughout the year.

Highlights

ECONOMY

The unemployment rate in Chico is 5.6% (U.S. avg. is 6.0%). Recent job growth is Positive. Chico jobs have increased by 2.1%. More Economy

COST OF LIVING

Compared to the rest of the country, Chico's cost of living is 14.5% higher than the U.S. average. More Cost of Living or Compare Chico's Cost of Living

WEATHER & CLIMATE

May, October and April are the most pleasant months in Chico, while January and December are the least comfortable months. Today's Weather | Climate Averages

VOTING

In the last Presidential election, Butte county flipped narrowly Democratic, 49.5% to 47.6%. More Voting Stats

POPULATION

Chico's population is 103,898 people. Since 2020, it has had a population growth of 6.5%. Learn More...

TRANSPORTATION

Average Commute time is 16.6 minutes. The National Average is 26.4 minutes. Learn More...

REAL ESTATE

The median home cost in Chico is . Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 3.1%.

SCHOOLS

Chico public schools spend $9,313 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. There are about 23.5 students per teacher in Chico. More Education

Best Places to Live in Chico Rankings

#20	Best Green Cities
#43	America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Mid-Size Metro Areas)
#281	2005 Best Places to Live

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Housing Market in Chico

It's a good time to buy in Chico. Home Appreciation is up 3.1% in the last 12 months.
The median home price in Chico is .

Schools: See Local Schools

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Reviews for Chico 31 Reviews

Imperfect but still very nice - 4/11/2022
Chico is imperfect like most places, but it's still good. Any and all of it's issues proceed from it's main fault of growing increasingly liberal, which is to be... Read More

Andrew | Chico, CA | Reply | No Replies

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Decent. - 4/7/2022
Chico's decent. I've been living here for ~5 years now. Eveen though my brother loves Chico and would like to stay, I would like to leave. I have no issues with crime or... Read More

Uuwuu | | Reply | No Replies

Crime in chico is not up stop believing the hype - 1/10/2022
I was born in Oroville and I grew up in Oroville and Biggs. I have heard all my life about crime in chico. Well I have lived in Chico near Chapman for almost 10 years... Read More

Dana | Chico, CA | Reply | No Replies

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ZIP CODES IN CHICO, CALIFORNIA

95926 95928 95973

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United States / California / Chico Metro Area / Butte County / Chico / Zip Codes