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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Chico

California · 40,079 residents · 34.5 sq mi
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The short version

Chico is home to 40,079 people in California. Owners hold 33% of the housing stock. The median age is 24.6, younger than the US median of 33.0. 32.0% of locals live below the federal poverty line. Households here earn about 47% less than in California as a whole. 32% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 24.6
US median: 33.0
More educated
32% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

40,079
−33%vs 2000
vs 59,954 in 2000
1990 – 2025
24.6
−5%vs 2000
vs 25.9 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
34.5 sq mi
Population, 19902024
34K53K72K91K110K19902000201020202024Chico
2024102K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 55.8%(2,309)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 95.7%(2,283)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 144.4%(1,773)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 1910.3%(4,113)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2425.6%(10,271)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3417.9%(7,166)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4412.7%(5,085)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 545%(1,984)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 643.7%(1,494)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 744.6%(1,846)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843%(1,188)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.4%(567)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$19,005
−15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $29,359 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$10,584
−38%vs 2000
vs $16,970 in 2000
US average: $14,340
32.0%
+5.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 26.6% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$105,400
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $138,600 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$456
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $594 in 2000
US average: $450
33.1%
−7.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 40.4% in 2000
66.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic77.2%(46,258)
Black2%(1,174)
Hispanic / Latino12.3%(7,351)
Asian4.1%(2,488)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic89.8%(35,973)
Black1.4%(545)
Hispanic / Latino8.5%(3,409)
Asian4%(1,606)
Other4.9%(1,955)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican17.1%(17,459)
Puerto Rican0.5%(475)
Salvadoran0.3%(344)
Spaniard0.3%(300)
Peruvian0.2%(225)
Nicaraguan0.2%(206)
Cuban0.2%(173)
Guatemalan0.2%(168)
Colombian0.1%(132)
Chilean0.1%(101)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Hmong1.3%(1,372)
Chinese0.9%(885)
Filipino0.7%(728)
Vietnamese0.6%(612)
Asian Indian0.5%(486)
Korean0.3%(259)
Japanese0.2%(186)
Taiwanese0.2%(173)
Indonesian0.1%(151)
Mien0.1%(93)
Laotian0.1%(88)
Pakistani0.1%(82)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Cambodian0.1%(62)
Thai0%(45)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0.2%(244)
Samoan0.1%(123)
Fijian0%(41)
Chamorro0%(11)
Ancestry
German14%(14,297)
English12.4%(12,676)
Irish11.5%(11,750)
Italian6.7%(6,831)
American3.6%(3,671)
Scottish3.1%(3,145)
French2.6%(2,613)
Portuguese2.1%(2,189)
Norwegian1.9%(1,901)
Swedish1.3%(1,312)
Dutch1%(1,003)
Polish1%(997)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.9%(887)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(776)
Welsh0.7%(713)
Danish0.7%(697)
British0.6%(655)
Arab0.6%(602)
Czech0.6%(592)
Greek0.5%(480)
Finnish0.4%(406)
Swiss0.3%(333)
Hungarian0.3%(316)
Canadian0.3%(289)
Croatian0.2%(252)
Ukrainian0.2%(214)
Romanian0.2%(180)
Nigerian0.2%(180)
Austrian0.2%(177)
Armenian0.2%(167)
Iranian0.1%(140)
Lebanese0.1%(132)
Turkish0.1%(96)
Jordanian0.1%(55)
Slovak0.1%(55)
Belgian0%(47)
Latvian0%(36)
Israeli0%(32)
Iraqi0%(26)
Slovene0%(25)
Jamaican0%(23)
Brazilian0%(17)
Serbian0%(17)
Egyptian0%(12)
Syrian0%(8)
Haitian0%(1)
Section 05

Education

31.8%
−1.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 33.6% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
85.6%
−1.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 87.3% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
8.2%
−2.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 10.5% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

15.6 min
+30%vs 2000
vs 12.1 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married52.6%(22,039)
Married37%(15,507)
Widowed1.3%(526)
Divorced9.2%(3,846)
Women 15+
Never married46.1%(20,598)
Married34.6%(15,454)
Widowed7.3%(3,248)
Divorced12%(5,363)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

7.2%
−9.3 ptssince 2013
from 16.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
52.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 53.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
15.6%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 13.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
28.1%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 26.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 66.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.7%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 37.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)24.9%(870)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.5%(785)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.2%(1,262)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.3%(256)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.6%(57)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,487 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Chico, California?

Chico, California has about 40,079 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Chico, California?

The typical household in Chico, California earns about $19,005 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chico, California expensive?

In Chico, California, the median home is worth about $105,400, and the typical rent is about $456 a month.

How educated are people in Chico, California?

About 31.8% of adults age 25 and over in Chico, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chico, California?

About 32.0% of people in Chico, California live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →