Chico vs Roswell
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $468,100 in Chico and $567,100 in Roswell.
- Households earn more in Roswell ($128,654 vs $66,977 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Chico (18 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Chico, CA | Roswell, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 105,081 | 91,505 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.5% | -1.4% |
| People per square mile | 3,057 | 2,247 |
| Median age | 31.1 | 40.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42% | 66% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,977 | $128,654 |
| Median home value | $468,100 | $567,100 |
| Home value to income | 7.0× | 4.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,488 | $1,810 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.2 | 100.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 91.9 | 111.0 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,900 | $75,000 |
| Homeowners | 43% | 72% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 5.19% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 7.56% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.8 | 26.9 |
| Work from home | 14% | 32% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.8% | 3.8% |
| Poverty rate | 22.7% | 7.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 54° / 41° | 52° / 33° |
| July high / low | 91° / 67° | 89° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 56 in | 51 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 65 | 53 |
| Nights below freezing | 7 | 49 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.9 | 95.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 65% | 41% |
| Home prices, past year | -2.1% | +1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +13.1% | +42.7% |
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. Roswell: April to May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Chico weather by month and Roswell 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 $75,000 in Roswell. Moving from Chico to Roswell, you would need about $74,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.