Chico vs San Jose
The short version
- Chico is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 8% lower than in the San Jose area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $468,100 in Chico and $1,233,200 in San Jose.
- Households earn more in San Jose ($146,427 vs $66,977 median).
- San Jose has the warmer winter: January highs of 60°F vs 54°F.
- Chico has more scorching days: 65 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 16.
- Chico is growing faster: +0.5% since 2020 vs -2.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Chico (18 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Chico, CA | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 105,081 | 989,814 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.5% | -2.3% |
| People per square mile | 3,057 | 5,563 |
| Median age | 31.1 | 38.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42% | 47% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $66,977 | $146,427 |
| Median home value | $468,100 | $1,233,200 |
| Home value to income | 7.0× | 8.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,488 | $2,669 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 101.2 | 110.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 91.9 | 211.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,900 | $82,800 |
| Homeowners | 43% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 17.8 | 27.3 |
| Work from home | 14% | 20% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.8% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 22.7% | 8.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 54° / 41° | 60° / 42° |
| July high / low | 91° / 67° | 81° / 58° |
| Precipitation per year | 56 in | 14 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 65 | 16 |
| Nights below freezing | 7 | 3 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 10 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.9 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 65% | 92% |
| Home prices, past year | -2.1% | -1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +13.1% | +27.4% |
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. San Jose: February to November.
Full monthly tables: Chico weather by month and San Jose 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 $82,800 in San Jose. Moving from Chico to San Jose, you would need about $81,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Chico and San Jose
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Chico and San Jose.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.