Chico, CA: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Chico ( CHEE-koh; Spanish for "boy" or "small/little") is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 101,475 in the 2020 census, an increase from 86,187 in the 2010 census. Chico is the cultural and economic center of the northern Sacramento Valley, as well as the most populous city in California north of the capital city of Sacramento. The city is known as a college town, as the home of California State University, Chico, and for Bidwell Park, one of the largest urban parks in the world.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Chico ranks

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#41Shortest commute in CA #75Fastest growing in CA #202Cheapest rent in CA All CA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code95926, 95927, 95928

Area code530

Living in Chico

Housing in Chico

$461K▲ 0.6% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Chico home is worth about $461,000, up 0.6% in a year, 40% below the California typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market35

Sale-to-list99.7%

Sold in May85

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Chico

D

Safety Grade D

Chico reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 87% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 38%.

Violent crime per 1,000

Chico 6.6

California 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Chico 18.1

California 18.2

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Chico

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A⁻

School Grade A-

The public schools Chico’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 78% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#236Best public schoolsof 574 in CA

DistrictChico UnifiedSchools36

Shasta Elementary CElementary · Grades K–5 · 621 students Emma Wilson Elementary CElementary · Grades K–5 · 597 students Chico Country Day A-Elementary · Grades K–8 · 585 students Marigold ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 571 students Rosedale ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 563 students Little Chico Creek ElementaryElementary · Grades K–5 · 471 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within CA. Ratings are from neighbors.