City safety & data profile

ChicoCA

Chico, CA is a 121K-resident city in Butte County with a median household income of $66,977.

Butte County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Chico, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Chico has a population larger than 94% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $468,100, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-22

121K
Population
Top 6%
By size
$66,977
Median income
$468,100
Median home
22.7%
Poverty rate

The read on Chico

Chico posts a median household income higher than 32% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Chico area.

Top 68%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Chico

Where Chico income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$66,977 Bottom 32% higher than 32% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. CA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Chico, CA beyond the headline numbers

Chico sits inside Butte County, California, at roughly 39.73°N, -121.84°W. Population 121,345, $66,977 median household income. Median home value $468,100, median rent $1,488. Poverty rate 22.7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Chico's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 32.8%, then high blood pressure at 28.8%. 1 hospital in/around Chico, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Chico from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
121,345
Chico
Median Income
$66,977
Near average
Median Home Value
$468,100
+106% vs avg
Median Age
31.1
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Butte County) - Chico's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
208K-6%
Median Income
$67,928+55%
Median Home Value
$424,700+88%
Poverty Rate
19.2%-6%
Unemployment
7.4%-48%

Economics

Economics indicators for Chico, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,488/mo
Poverty Rate
22.7% +60% vs avg
Unemployment 6.8%
Bachelor's Degree+ 42.2%
Work From Home 13.5%
Public Transit 0.9%

Population

White 69.2%
African American 2.3%
Asian 5.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.7%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
32.8%
High Blood Pressure
28.8%
Obesity
28.6%
Physical Inactivity
20.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.9%
Binge Drinking
18.9%
Frequent Physical Distress
13%
Current Smoking
11.8%
Current Asthma
10.7%
Diabetes
8.9%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 61.3%
Annual Checkup 71%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
8%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.4%
Stroke
2.9%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
ENLOE HEALTH
CHICO · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Chico, CA?
Chico, CA has a population of 121,345 people, located in Butte County, California.
What is the median household income in Chico?
The median household income in Chico, CA is $66,977 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 22.7%.
What is the median home value in Chico?
The median home value in Chico, CA is $468,100. Median rent is $1,488/month.
What are the top health concerns in Chico?
The top health indicators in Chico include Short Sleep Duration (32.8%), High Blood Pressure (28.8%), Obesity (28.6%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Chico?
Chico has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Chico?
The median age in Chico, CA is 31.1 years. 42.2% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Chico, CA is located in Butte County, California. With a population of 121K and a $66,977 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Chico area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

Primary source data

Nearby Cities 8

Using Chico's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Chico area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Chico against California peers on any ranking lens. Explore California

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Butte County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.