Chico vs Lincoln
Chico, California versus Lincoln, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Chico and Lincoln score about the same overall (50 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Chico | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $66k | $99k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $56k |
| Home Value | $428k | $595k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.74% | 1.00% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.03% | 22.19% |
| Unemployment | 6.9% | 4.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 47°F | 47°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 81°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 28.3 in | 24.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 293 days | 318 days |
| Summer Humidity | 52°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 84 days | 82 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 50.4 | 32.4 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 62.4 | 50.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1066/100k | 476/100k |
| Property Crime | 1661/100k | 886/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 102,790 | 50,131 |
| Median Age | 30.4 | 44.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.42 | 0.40 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.92 |
| Political Leaning | Even | R+17 |
| White (%) | 67.9% | 67.7% |
| Black (%) | 2.0% | 1.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 19.2% | 18.3% |
| Asian (%) | 4.9% | 6.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.0% | 6.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 18 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 9.0/20 | 12.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 74 mi | 20 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.5% | 91.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 20.92 | 14.36 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Chico or Lincoln more affordable?
- Chico has the lower cost of living: its index is $54k, compared with Chico's $54k and Lincoln's $56k. Median rent is $1k in Chico versus $2k in Lincoln.
- Is Chico or Lincoln safer?
- Lincoln has the lower violent crime rate. Chico reports 1066/100k and Lincoln reports 476/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Chico or Lincoln?
- The median home value is $428k in Chico and $595k in Lincoln, so homes are more affordable in Chico.