City comparison
Chico, CA is about 80 miles (125 km) from Sacramento, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Chico, CA to Sacramento, CA takes about 10 min, covering roughly 80 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Sacramento has a population of 523,600, vs 102,790 in Chico — about 5.1× larger by population. By land area, Sacramento covers about 99 sq mi vs 34 sq mi for Chico.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Chico | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,360/mo | $1,592/mo | 17.1% higher in Sacramento |
| Median home value | $427,600 | $450,500 | 5.4% higher in Sacramento |
| Median household income | $65,932 | $78,954 | 19.8% higher in Sacramento |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 105.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.8 | 148.9 | 4.6% higher in Chico |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chico, you'd need $114,356 in Sacramento to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chico, CA is about 12.6% cheaper overall than Sacramento, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 39% higher in Sacramento than in Chico. If you earn $80,000 in Chico, you'd need about $91,485 in Sacramento to keep the same standard of living.