Skip to ContentThe Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the price level for the Chico metro area (all of Butte County) at 101.2 for 2024, where the U.S. average is 100. California as a whole is 110.7. This is the federal government’s regional price parity, the one official cost-of-living index with a Chico figure. It is a price level, not a budget.
Checked October 29, 2026
- 101.2Chico metro all-items price level, 2024 (U.S. = 100)
- 110.7California all-items price level, 2024
- 158.8Chico metro utilities price level, 2024
- 91.9Chico metro housing price level, 2024
Price Levels in 2024
| Category | Chico Metro Area | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 101.2 | 110.7 | 100.0 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 106.1 | 99.6 |
| Services: Housing | 91.9 | 154.3 | 100.6 |
| Services: Utilities | 158.8 | 158.9 | 98.4 |
| Services: Other | 100.3 | 102.6 | 100.1 |
A reading of 101.2 means prices for the same basket of goods and services are about 1.2 percent above the U.S. average. The “United States” column is the BEA’s own average across metro areas, which is why only the all-items line equals exactly 100.
Chico Metro Area, 2019-2024
| Year | All Items | Housing | Utilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 102.2 | 95.3 | 132.3 |
| 2020 | 101.8 | 97.1 | 136.8 |
| 2021 | 102.5 | 102.4 | 146.1 |
| 2022 | 104.2 | 91.4 | 150.6 |
| 2023 | 104.7 | 100.7 | 151.8 |
| 2024 | 101.2 | 91.9 | 158.8 |
The housing line moves a lot from year to year. The BEA builds it from rents paid by tenants, so it follows the rental market, not home prices. Read one year with care.
What This Index Is and Is Not
- One figure for the whole metro area.The BEA does not publish a separate figure for Chico city, Oroville, Paradise, Gridley, Orland or Red Bluff. Orland (Glenn County) and Red Bluff (Tehama County) are outside the Chico metro area.
- A price level, not dollars.It compares prices with the U.S. average. It does not tell you what a family spends.
- Several years behind.The newest year is 2024.
- Not a ranking.We print no comparisons with other cities.
For actual dollar rents and home values by town, see Rent and Home Values by Town. For pay, see Jobs and Wages.
Not Confirmed
- Current asking rents, grocery prices and utility bills are not printed because no primary source for them covers Chico.
- The BEA’s own explanation of each category is on its site; we quote none of it here beyond the category names.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Area (table MARPP, 2008-2024): apps.bea.gov MARPP download (read October 29, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by State (table SARPP, 2008-2024): apps.bea.gov SARPP download (read October 29, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities: bea.gov Regional Price Parities
Cite this page: It's Chico, “Chico Area Cost of Living”, itschico.com/living/cost-of-living/ (updated ). By the It's Chico editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.