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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Chico Metro

Chico, CA · 1 counties · 182,120 residents · 1,636 sq mi
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The short version

Chico is a metro area of 182,120 people. The poverty rate is 18.9%, above the 13.2% national rate. Households take in $22,776 at the median, 24% less than the US figure. There are 21,051 fewer people here than in 2000. 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value sits at $94,000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 34.0
US median: 33.0
Average education
19% 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

Total population
182,120
−10%vs 2000
vs 203,171 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
111 / sq mi
−10%vs 2000
vs 124 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
34.0
−5%vs 2000
vs 35.8 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
1,636 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
178K191K205K218K232K19902000201020202024Chico
2024208K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.7%(12,173)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.2%(13,119)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.1%(11,168)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197%(12,675)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 249.9%(18,077)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3414.7%(26,722)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.2%(25,827)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548.5%(15,555)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.4%(15,317)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 7410.2%(18,588)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 845.6%(10,150)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.5%(2,749)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$22,776
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $31,924 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$12,083
−31%vs 2000
vs $17,517 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
18.9%
−0.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 19.8% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$94,000
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $116,200 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$439
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $563 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
61.1%
+0.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 60.7% in 2000
38.9% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic80%(162,564)
Black1.3%(2,699)
Hispanic / Latino10.5%(21,339)
Asian3.3%(6,676)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic90.8%(165,364)
Black1.2%(2,098)
Hispanic / Latino7.4%(13,472)
Asian2.8%(5,072)
Other5.3%(9,586)

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%(35,424)
Central American0.6%(1,210)
Spaniard0.5%(1,102)
Puerto Rican0.3%(719)
Salvadoran0.2%(513)
Nicaraguan0.2%(324)
Cuban0.1%(275)
Peruvian0.1%(266)
Guatemalan0.1%(206)
Colombian0.1%(141)
Chilean0.1%(137)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Hmong2.4%(5,055)
Filipino0.6%(1,186)
Chinese0.5%(1,067)
Vietnamese0.4%(792)
Mien0.3%(687)
Asian Indian0.3%(680)
Korean0.2%(368)
Japanese0.1%(287)
Laotian0.1%(182)
Taiwanese0.1%(180)
Indonesian0.1%(151)
Pakistani0.1%(143)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Cambodian0%(62)
Thai0%(47)
Kazakh0%(34)
Uzbek0%(29)
Burmese0%(22)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0.1%(271)
Samoan0.1%(155)
Fijian0%(49)
Chamorro0%(47)
Ancestry
German13.8%(28,763)
English12.3%(25,627)
Irish11.4%(23,766)
Italian5.4%(11,228)
American5%(10,470)
Scottish2.7%(5,695)
French2.6%(5,388)
Norwegian1.8%(3,771)
Portuguese1.8%(3,657)
Swedish1.4%(2,902)
Dutch1.3%(2,721)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(1,943)
+ 44 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.8%(1,689)
Danish0.7%(1,460)
Russian0.6%(1,251)
Welsh0.6%(1,246)
British0.5%(1,070)
Greek0.4%(897)
Czech0.4%(817)
Swiss0.4%(766)
Arab0.4%(732)
Finnish0.3%(674)
Hungarian0.3%(585)
Canadian0.2%(494)
Croatian0.2%(380)
Romanian0.2%(313)
Ukrainian0.1%(280)
West Indian0.1%(270)
Austrian0.1%(254)
Lithuanian0.1%(237)
Armenian0.1%(233)
Jamaican0.1%(220)
Lebanese0.1%(201)
Nigerian0.1%(182)
Iranian0.1%(166)
Israeli0.1%(109)
Turkish0%(96)
Jordanian0%(88)
Slovak0%(80)
Belgian0%(76)
Latvian0%(62)
Iraqi0%(39)
Slovene0%(34)
Brazilian0%(25)
Serbian0%(17)
Egyptian0%(12)
Syrian0%(8)
Haitian0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
19.5%
−2.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 21.8% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
77.6%
−4.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 82.3% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
6.0%
−1.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 7.0% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.9 min
+32%vs 2000
vs 14.3 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 married42.7%(36,537)
Married44.6%(38,165)
Widowed2.5%(2,106)
Divorced10.2%(8,683)
Women 15+
Never married36.7%(32,115)
Married42.3%(37,035)
Widowed8.3%(7,224)
Divorced12.7%(11,121)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
6.4%
−9.3 ptssince 2013
from 15.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 47.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 20.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
31.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 30.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.5%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
60.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 61.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
48.4%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 47.5% 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)19.1%(2,146)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.8%(2,112)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era43.5%(4,895)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.9%(661)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.1%(120)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 11,249 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
In this metro

Largest cities

ChicoCENTRAL105,081Oroville20,451Paradise10,023Oroville East7,504Magalia7,389Gridley7,258Thermalito6,720Durham5,340Palermo5,266South Oroville2,846Kelly Ridge2,825Biggs1,927Forest Ranch1,915Butte Valley1,087Berry Creek760Butte Creek Canyon713Bangor597Cohasset573Clipper Mills414Stirling City344Honcut271Yankee Hill232Nord190Concow183Richvale145Rackerby138Robinson Mill100Cherokee99Forbestown90Butte Meadows25
What's inside

1 component county

Butte CountyCENTRAL209,211
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Chico

Elkhart
Pop 208,774
Jacksonville
Pop 217,175
Punta Gorda
Pop 217,212
Athens
Pop 224,148
Places similar to Chico
Head to head

Compare Chico side by side

CHICO VS
Elkhart
Income$68,561+201%
Home value$210,400+124%
Population208,774same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHICO VS
Jacksonville
Income$68,148+199%
Home value$236,400+151%
Population217,175+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHICO VS
Punta Gorda
Income$69,952+207%
Home value$328,900+250%
Population217,212+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHICO VS
Athens
Income$69,695+206%
Home value$314,999+235%
Population224,148+7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Chico, CA?

Chico, CA has about 182,120 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Chico, CA?

The typical household in Chico, CA earns about $22,776 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chico, CA expensive?

In Chico, CA, the median home is worth about $94,000, and the typical rent is about $439 a month.

How educated are people in Chico, CA?

About 19.5% of adults age 25 and over in Chico, CA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chico, CA?

About 18.9% of people in Chico, CA live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →