City safety & data profile

ChowchillaCA

Chowchilla, CA is a 19K-resident city in Madera County with a median household income of $66,514.

Madera County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Chowchilla, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Chowchilla has a population larger than 39% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $364,000.

Data updated 2026-07-20

19K
Population
Top 61%
By size
$66,514
Median income
$364,000
Median home
19.6%
Poverty rate

The read on Chowchilla

Chowchilla posts a median household income higher than 31% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 69%
by median income, US cities

Where Chowchilla income ranks nationally

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

$66,514 Bottom 31% higher than 31% 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 Chowchilla, CA beyond the headline numbers

Chowchilla sits inside Madera County, California, at roughly 37.12°N, -120.26°W. Population 18,510, $66,514 median household income. Median home value $364,000, median rent $1,178. Poverty rate 19.6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Chowchilla's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 39.6%, then short sleep duration at 39.2%.

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

Population
18,510
Chowchilla
Median Income
$66,514
Near average
Median Home Value
$364,000
+60% vs avg
Median Age
34.2
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Madera County) - Chowchilla'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
161K+6%
Median Income
$76,627+68%
Median Home Value
$393,200+116%
Poverty Rate
19.2%-16%
Unemployment
10.1%-5%

Economics

Economics indicators for Chowchilla, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,178/mo
Poverty Rate
19.6% +38% vs avg
Unemployment 10.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 15.6%
Work From Home 8.3%
Public Transit 0.4%

Population

White 40.2%
African American 6%
Asian 6.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
39.6%
Short Sleep Duration
39.2%
High Blood Pressure
34.4%
Physical Inactivity
33%
Frequent Mental Distress
22.3%
Current Smoking
18.7%
Frequent Physical Distress
17.9%
Lack of Health Insurance
16.7%
Binge Drinking
15.3%
Diabetes
13.9%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 52.6%
Annual Checkup 69.2%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
11.3%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.8%
Stroke
4%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Chowchilla, CA? ▼
Chowchilla, CA has a population of 18,510 people, located in Madera County, California.
What is the median household income in Chowchilla? ▼
The median household income in Chowchilla, CA is $66,514 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 19.6%.
What is the median home value in Chowchilla? ▼
The median home value in Chowchilla, CA is $364,000. Median rent is $1,178/month.
What are the top health concerns in Chowchilla? ▼
The top health indicators in Chowchilla include Obesity (39.6%), Short Sleep Duration (39.2%), High Blood Pressure (34.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Chowchilla? ▼
The median age in Chowchilla, CA is 34.2 years. 15.6% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Chowchilla, CA is located in Madera County, California. With a population of 19K and a $66,514 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the Chowchilla area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - California

Real-time AQI for every monitored California location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Madera, CA 64K Merced, CA 82K Mendota, CA 11K Atwater, CA 29K Winton, CA 11K Kerman, CA 14K Livingston, CA 14K Los Banos, CA 37K
All cities in California → Compare Chowchilla vs Madera → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Chowchilla'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 Chowchilla 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 Chowchilla 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 (Madera 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.