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Compare towns

Costa Mesa vs Chico

473 miles apart. The biggest differences: home values (2.4× in Costa Mesa) and trails (4.9× in Chico).

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Costa Mesa, CAHomes around $1.41MCalifornia · 110,330 people
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Chico, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 102,188 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Costa MesaHomes around $1.41M
Housing$1.41M typical home85% above the CA typical home College town3 collegesOrange Coast College Work80,735 jobsbased in Costa Mesa, a regional job hub All about Costa Mesa →
ChicoAn outdoors town
Outdoors#87 most conserved land in CA93 miles of trails across 22 parks and preserves Famous people55 notable peopleborn in Chico Housing$461K typical home40% below the CA typical home All about Chico →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Home values2.4×
Homes cost more in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa $1,115,100Chico $468,100
Trails4.9×
Chico has more miles of trail
Chico 93.3 miCosta Mesa 19.0 mi
Property tax bill+87%
Tax bills are bigger in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa $6,839Chico $3,656
Household income+66%
Households in Costa Mesa earn more
Costa Mesa $111,505Chico $66,977
Rent+64%
Rent runs higher in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa $2,446Chico $1,488
Work in town+40.3 pts
More of Chico’s workers stay in town
Chico 53.5%Costa Mesa 13.2%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $5,410 more a month in Costa Mesa

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Costa Mesa$8,120/mo
Typical home $1.41M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.61% · or rent about $2,446/mo · Housing →
Chico$2,720/mo
Typical home $461K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $1,488/mo · Housing →

The difference: $5,410 a month, about $64,900 a year, between Costa Mesa and Chico.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Chico places higher on 11 of 21 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
–Costa MesaNot graded DChicoSafer than 13% of U.S. towns
Schools
A−Costa MesaBetter than 84% of districts in the state A−ChicoBetter than 78% of districts in the state
Health
A−Costa MesaHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns B+ChicoHealthier than 69% of U.S. towns
10Costa Mesa
11Chico

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #427#85 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #149#806 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #555#75 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #638#202 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #141#359 Most affordableCost of living · 835 towns #692#270 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #420#830 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #285#687

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Costa Mesa’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
Costa MesaChico
Snow a year0″0″
January low49°F38°F
July high83°F94°F
Growing season (days)365d279d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)85th60th
Outdoors & history
Costa MesaChico
Trails19 mi93 mi
Conserved land9.4%25.8%
Settled17761860
National Register places—9
Archive photos212
Famous people born here2755
Community
Costa MesaChico
Library hours a week60 hrs36 hrs
Colleges in town32
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

473 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Costa MesaCAChicoCA
Costa Mesa ↔ Chico473 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Costa MesaChico
People
Population 110,330Highest 102,188Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.8%Lowest CA: +6.1% +17.7%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 36.7±0.8Highest 3% below CA 31.1±0.6Lowest 18% below CA
Kids under 18 18.5%±1.2Highest CA: 22% 18.4%±0.9Lowest CA: 22%
Costa Mesa and Chico are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.2%±0.8Lowest CA: 15.7% 14.2%±0.7Highest CA: 15.7%
Chico and Costa Mesa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 45%Highest CA: 37.1% 42.2%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±0.8Lowest CA: 7.6% 17.7%±1Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $111,505±$4kHighest 12% above CA $66,977±$3kLowest 32% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,115,100±$21kHighest 52% above CA $468,100±$8kLowest 36% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,446±$39Highest 20% above CA $1,488±$35Lowest 27% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,839Highest 33% above CA $3,656Lowest 29% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.1%±3.6Lowest CA: 55.3% 62.2%±3.2Highest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 9.1%Lowest CA: 12% 22.7%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 39.6%Lowest CA: 55.9% 43.4%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Lowest 4 yrs older than CA 1983Highest 7 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 22% below CA 18 minLowest 38% below CA
Work from home 22.2%±1.6Highest CA: 17.2% 13.5%±1.2Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 13.2%Lowest 53.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.8 miHighest 4.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.70Highest 1.12Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Irvine (14%)Oroville (5%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ChicoFew work in Costa Mesa
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 9.4%Lowest 25.8%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 19.0 miLowest 93.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miLowest 2.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 30Highest 22Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 109Highest 79.5Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #353 of 574 in CA#236 of 574 in CA
School district Coastline ROP · Central Orange County CTE Partnership (CTEp)Butte County ROP · Inspire School of Arts and Sciences District
High school in town Costa Mesa HighPleasant Valley High
Students per teacherat that high school 19.5Lowest 22.4Highest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Costa Mesa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Costa Mesa’s Town Square.

Chico neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Discovering Hidden Chico Gems

1 neighbor in Chico can answer.

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Bordering Costa Mesa

+ Compare
Newport Beach83,845 people · $2M homes
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Santa Ana312,534 people · $713K homes
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Irvine311,690 people · $1.19M homes
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Huntington Beach195,240 people · $1.1M homes

Towns like Costa Mesa

B
+ Compare
Burbank104,546 people · $1.09M homes
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Santa Barbara87,779 people · $1.57M homes
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Tustin78,981 people · $950K homes
+ Compare
Alhambra81,022 people · $858K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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