2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Chico, CA vs Ridgecrest, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Ridgecrest or is it cheaper to live in Chico?
- Ridgecrest is 9.5% less expensive than Chico.

Which city has more affordable housing, Ridgecrest or Chico?
- Ridgecrest housing costs are 43.2% less expensive than Chico housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Chico or is Health Care more affordable in Ridgecrest.
- Health related expenses are 23.3% less in Ridgecrest.
 Chico, CARidgecrest, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock99.8100
 Food & Groceries102.0  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock92.7100
 Housing145.5  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$245,600$338,100
 Utilities111  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock101.6100
 Miscellaneous115.1  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Chico    31 Reviews

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  More

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Uuwuu · 
Over 3 years ago

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  More

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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  More

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Reviews for Ridgecrest    7 Reviews

For context, I grew up in Ridgecrest and moved away after graduating high school. I have since lived in LA and the Bay Area but I visit RC often. RC is in the high  More

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Ridgecrest and Kern County are red state bastions in a land of blue voting counties. If you want a concealed weapons permit, you'll get it. Want to own any firearm  More

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Over 13 years ago

The hardest thing to get used to in Ridgecrest is the weather. It can get quite windy. And hot. 115 hot. But it's a dry heat! It does cool off in the evening, and it  More

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