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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Chico

California · 59,954 residents · 34.521 sq mi
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The short version

Chico has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $29,359. Population has grown 50% since 1990. Median home value is $138,600. At a median age of 25.9, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. The poverty rate of 26.6% is well above the national figure. Households here earn about 38% less than the California median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 25.9
US median: 35.2
More educated
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
59,954
+50%since 1990
from 40,079 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
25.9
+5%since 1990
from 24.6 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
34K53K72K91K110K1990201020202024Chico
2024102K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 56%(3,602)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 95.9%(3,520)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 145.8%(3,484)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 1910.1%(6,057)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 2420.3%(12,173)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.1%(9,049)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4411.7%(7,037)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5410.2%(6,100)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 645%(3,000)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 743.9%(2,360)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844%(2,392)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over2%(1,180)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$29,359
+17%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $19,005 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$16,970
+60%since 1990
from $10,584 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
26.6%
−5.4 ptssince 1990
from 32.0% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$138,600
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 1990
from $105,400 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$594
−1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $456 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
40.4%
+7.3 ptssince 1990
from 33.1% in 1990
59.6% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Chico on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.6%
+1.9 ptssince 1990
from 31.8% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
87.3%
+1.7 ptssince 1990
from 85.6% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
10.5%
+2.4 ptssince 1990
from 8.2% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
12.1 min
−23%since 1990
from 15.6 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married50.9%(12,160)
Married39.3%(9,392)
Widowed1.9%(448)
Divorced7.9%(1,879)
Women 15+
Never married41.6%(10,510)
Married38%(9,596)
Widowed8.7%(2,189)
Divorced11.8%(2,970)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Drill deeper

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Compare Chico to nearby cities

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Home value$416,000+200%
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CHICO VS
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CHICO VS
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CHICO VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Chico, California?

Chico, California has about 59,954 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Chico, California?

The typical household in Chico, California earns about $29,359 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 $138,600, and the typical rent is about $594 a month.

How educated are people in Chico, California?

About 33.6% 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 26.6% of people in Chico, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Chico, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Chico, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 19,875 residents, a change of about 50 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →