Rents are 8% below what Chico's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,561 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Chico usually run 1% below trend in December and 0.6% above it in June, about $25 a month apart at today's median. Based on 10 years of data.
Rent in Chico is 0.2% below its high of $1,564 in June 2026, at $1,561 as of September 2026.
Rent in Chico changed +2.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 336 California cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Chico rose 20.9% while median household income rose 25.6% ($53,324 to $66,977). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Chico is 23.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($66,977) is $1,674 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,490); a 3-bedroom is $2,087.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Chico, 95973 ($1,811/mo), costs 27% more than the cheapest, 95926 ($1,422/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Chico. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Chico, CA is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, 42.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Chico, CA has changed in 5 years
Since 2021, the typical rent in Chico, CA has increased from $1,311 to $1,561, a 19.1% change over five years. Median household income rose from $60,507 to $66,977 between 2021 and 2024, a 10.7% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has contracted by 1.6% since 2021, moving from about 103,898 residents to roughly 102,188. College-educated residents now make up 42.2% of adults here, versus 39.6% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Chico, CA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $1,561/mo, how Chico rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Chico rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Chico. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Chico
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Chico is $1,561/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,087/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,490/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,147/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,087/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($66,977/yr), Chico ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 2.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Chico rent compare to other cities in California?
At $1,561/mo, rent takes ~28% of Chico's median household income ($66,977/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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