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CITY · 2010 ACS

Chico

California · 86,187 residents · 34.5 sq mi
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Chico is home to 86,187 people in California. The median age is 28.6, younger than the US median of 37.2. Owners hold 43% of the housing stock. The population is up 44% since 2000. Households here earn about 31% less than in California as a whole. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $312,000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 28.6
US median: 37.2
More educated
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 78%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

86,187
+44%since 2000
from 59,954 in 2000
1990 – 2025
28.6
+10%since 2000
from 25.9 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
34.5 sq mi
Population, 19902024
34K53K72K91K110K19902000201020202024Chico
2024102K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.7%(4,907)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 95.4%(4,648)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 145.2%(4,482)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 199.9%(8,494)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2417.2%(14,862)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3415.2%(13,137)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4410.7%(9,223)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5410.5%(9,065)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 649.5%(8,191)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 744.9%(4,262)
US avg: 7%
75 to 843.4%(2,903)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2.3%(2,013)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$41,835
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,359 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
$23,510
+39%since 2000
from $16,970 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
25.9%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 23.2% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
21.2%
−5.4 ptssince 2000
from 26.6% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
0.457
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information14.2%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade6%
US avg: 10.9%
Other services5.6%
US avg: 7%
Wholesale trade4.4%
US avg: 7.2%
Public administration3.6%
US avg: 4.9%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.2%
US avg: 2.4%
Finance & insurance2%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical1.6%
US avg: 4.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction1.6%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$312,000
+78%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $138,600 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
$901
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $594 in 2000
US average: $853
42.7%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 40.4% in 2000
57.3% rent
10.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
2.42 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.43 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
36.9%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 35.3% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
61.1%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 63.2% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
7.5
−11%since 2009
from 8.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic77.2%(46,258)
Black2%(1,174)
Hispanic / Latino12.3%(7,351)
Asian4.1%(2,488)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic73.7%(63,561)
Black1.9%(1,636)
Hispanic / Latino15.4%(13,315)
Asian4.2%(3,589)
Other5%(4,326)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican12%(10,197)
Puerto Rican0.4%(337)
Spaniard0.4%(335)
Colombian0.3%(239)
Salvadoran0.3%(221)
Guatemalan0.1%(110)
Panamanian0.1%(62)
Dominican0.1%(45)
Cuban0.1%(43)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0%(22)
Honduran0%(14)
Peruvian0%(12)
Bolivian0%(10)
Ancestry
German19.5%(16,596)
Irish14.7%(12,531)
English12.7%(10,783)
Italian7.4%(6,333)
American6.8%(5,798)
French4%(3,374)
Scottish3.2%(2,710)
Portuguese2.8%(2,352)
Scotch-Irish2.7%(2,302)
Norwegian2.5%(2,139)
Swedish2.3%(1,980)
Dutch2.1%(1,808)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Polish1.7%(1,428)
Danish1.4%(1,185)
Russian1%(812)
Greek0.9%(808)
Welsh0.9%(736)
Swiss0.5%(467)
Canadian0.5%(455)
British0.5%(449)
Czech0.5%(442)
Arab0.4%(356)
Hungarian0.4%(308)
Austrian0.4%(305)
Armenian0.3%(266)
Lithuanian0.3%(233)
Croatian0.2%(201)
Bulgarian0.2%(187)
Ukrainian0.2%(171)
Finnish0.2%(168)
Romanian0.1%(116)
Lebanese0.1%(83)
Australian0.1%(83)
West Indian0.1%(79)
Iranian0.1%(66)
Slovak0.1%(65)
Slovene0.1%(59)
Turkish0.1%(53)
Brazilian0.1%(51)
Guyanese0.1%(50)
Syrian0.1%(45)
Belgian0.1%(44)
Moroccan0%(31)
Kenyan0%(29)
Iraqi0%(22)
Ethiopian0%(22)
Haitian0%(19)
Egyptian0%(11)
Latvian0%(6)
Serbian0%(4)
Section 05

Education

34.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 33.6% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
90.5%
+3.2 ptssince 2000
from 87.3% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
11.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 10.5% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

17.1 min
+42%since 2000
from 12.1 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
71.1%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 72.5% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
11.3%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
1.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
4.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
5.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
5.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
8.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

17.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
35.3%
+2.6 ptssince 2009
from 32.7% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

49.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
51.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
8.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
8.9%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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 86,187 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Chico, California?

The typical household in Chico, California earns about $41,835 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 $312,000, and the typical rent is about $901 a month.

How educated are people in Chico, California?

About 34.2% 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 21.2% 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 46,108 residents, a change of about 115 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 →