Chico, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chico, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
D
Income Well below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Chico | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 85,216 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2468.5 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.65% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.7 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 36,137 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chico grew by 19.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 85,216 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chico is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 33.8% of residents. That is 12.0 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 28,761 33.8% +12.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 17,220 20.2% -3.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,260 15.6% -4.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,107 13.0% -2.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in Chico and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% California 49.9%
- Men 48.5% California 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in Chico
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Economy
Chico has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Chico | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,822 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.72% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chico is about 33% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Chico | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $438,957 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,473 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 43.8% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chico is about 24.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,473 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chico spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 108 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chico | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.0 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.0 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 108 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,363 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,697 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,322 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Chico is 13 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Chico has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Chico | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.7% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Chico has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Chico | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.7% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chico, California.
How big is Chico, California by population?
About 85,216 people live in Chico, California, in 36,137 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 32.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Chico, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Chico, California has 2,468 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 29 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Chico, California?
The median home costs 6.6 times the median household income ($438,957 against $66,822), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,473 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Chico, California?
Unemployment in Chico, California is 6.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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