Bidwell Mansion · Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Chico spent less per resident in 2022 than 85% of similar cities
Chico’s city government spent $121.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,199 per resident. Water and other utilities ($6.3 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Chico is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$979 per resident in 2022: less than 85% of them
Chico’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($979 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,354, and the middle half spent $1,098–$2,038. Chico spent less than 85% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($8.2 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Chico itself left out).
About $1,199 per resident a year, or $3.28 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 21% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Chico reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $979 · 2024: $1,199.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,656 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.78% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Chico’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Chico’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chico →
Who’s in charge in Chico
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Chico’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on chico.ca.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 273 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (101,299).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Chico Unified School District
Chico’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $17,329 per pupil, $10,469 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Chico’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Chico alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Butte County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.9%47,037 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.8%44,166 votesOthers: 3.3% (3,111 votes).
Most votes in Butte County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Chico lies in Butte County. Every 2024 race in Butte County is on the county’s page.
Butte County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Chico.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: chico.ca.us ↗
- 2California AssemblyState representativesDistrict 3
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Chico compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Chico | $979 | $3,656 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Chico’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Chico’s government
How much does Chico spend per resident?
About $1,199 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $979 was less than 85% of 59 California cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Chico?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,656 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.78% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see chico.ca.us.
Who runs Chico’s government?
See chico.ca.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Chico yet.
How did Chico vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Chico alone. Butte County, where 100% of Chico lies, voted Trump 49.9%, Harris 46.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Chico?
371 full-time and 25 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2.9M (about $35.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Chico in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Megan Dahle) and Assembly District 3. The Assembly district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Chico’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →