Cost of living in Chico research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Chico is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Chico is 130, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Chico is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Chico ranks as the #184 cheapest in California out of 634.
Chico ranks as the #4,989 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Chico is $455,078.
The median income in Chico is $67,929.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Chico has an overall cost of living index of 130, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Chico has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Chico ranks as #184 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Chico ranks as the #450 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Chico, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Chico. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Chico is 108.
The Groceries index in Chico is 109.
The Health index in Chico is 115.
The Housing index in Chico is 171.
The Transportation index in Chico is 120.
The Utilities index in Chico is 115.
| Living Expense | Chico | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 130 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 108 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 109 | 111 | 100 | |
| Health | 115 | 107 | 100 | |
| Housing | 171 | 194 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 120 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 115 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Chico is $455,078.
The Median Rent in Chico is $1,442.
The Median Income in Chico is $67,929.
The Home Value To Income in Chico is 6.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Chico is 0.25x.
| Statistic | Chico | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $455,078 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,442 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $67,929 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.7x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.25x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Chico | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.44 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.76 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $22.22 | $18.0 |
| Haircut | $40.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $60.53 | $45.56 |
| Item | Chico | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.56 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.06 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.93 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.69 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.98 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.49 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.67 | $3.7 |
| Item | Chico | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $153.5 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $201.43 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $115.72 | $113.29 |
| Item | Chico | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.51 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $58.67 | $59.92 |
| Item | Chico | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $238.53 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.81 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Chico. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Live Oak, CA has a cost of living index of 115, 0.9x Chico.
Magalia, CA has a cost of living index of 109, 0.8x Chico.
Gridley, CA has a cost of living index of 108, 0.8x Chico.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Chico |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak, CA | 16,866 | 115 | 0.9x |
| Magalia, CA | 7,784 | 109 | 0.8x |
| Gridley, CA | 7,372 | 108 | 0.8x |
| Paradise, CA | 6,793 | 117 | 0.9x |
| Colusa, CA | 6,439 | 113 | 0.9x |
| Willows, CA | 6,239 | 110 | 0.8x |
| Durham, CA | 6,111 | 153 | 1.2x |
| Williams, CA | 5,569 | 117 | 0.9x |
| Palermo, CA | 5,440 | 111 | 0.9x |