Chico vs North Charleston
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $302,200 in North Charleston and $468,100 in Chico.
- Households earn more in Chico ($66,977 vs $62,956 median).
- North Charleston has the warmer winter: January highs of 60°F vs 54°F.
- North Charleston is growing faster: +12.5% since 2020 vs +0.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Chico (18 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Chico, CA | North Charleston, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 105,081 | 129,245 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.5% | +12.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,057 | 1,658 |
| Median age | 31.1 | 34.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42% | 29% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,977 | $62,956 |
| Median home value | $468,100 | $302,200 |
| Home value to income | 7.0× | 4.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,488 | $1,430 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.2 | 101.0 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 91.9 | 119.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,900 | $75,700 |
| Homeowners | 43% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 6% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 7.49% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.8 | 24.5 |
| Work from home | 14% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.8% | 4.3% |
| Poverty rate | 22.7% | 14.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 54° / 41° | 60° / 39° |
| July high / low | 91° / 67° | 91° / 74° |
| Precipitation per year | 56 in | 53 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 65 | 64 |
| Nights below freezing | 7 | 22 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.9 | 98.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 65% | 60% |
| Home prices, past year | -2.1% | +4.7% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +13.1% | +61.6% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Chico: May to June and September to October. North Charleston: March to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Chico weather by month and North Charleston weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,900 in Chico and $75,700 in North Charleston. Moving from Chico to North Charleston, you would need about $74,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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