Should I Move To
Roughly 102,790 people live in Chico, California. Living here costs moderate relative to the rest of the country, 3% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,360/mo; the typical household pulls in $65,932. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 56/100 — a C, putting it at #278 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Chico sits at 103 — moderate when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,360/mo against $65,932 median household income), housing eats roughly 25% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $427,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 91°F in summer, 40°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 18 inches. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. On safety, this is a middle-of-the-pack city — neither standout nor concerning. AQI runs about 43 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Chico is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 63/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is climate (77/100); the soft spot is job market (24/100).
For retirees, Chico is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 64/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is climate (77/100); the soft spot is job market (24/100).
For remote workers, Chico is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 62/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is climate (77/100); the soft spot is job market (24/100).
For young professionals, Chico isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 52/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is climate (77/100); the soft spot is job market (24/100).
Our overall score for Chico is 56/100 — a C, sitting at #278 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Chico sits at 103 — moderate, 3% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,360 a month.
Chico runs four-season on the weather. Summer's near 91°F, winter's near 40°F; 18 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 65/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 102,790 people live here, with 41% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 30.
Drop Chico into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Chico with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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