Brown, J. T., Hotel · National Register of Historic Places
Chico’s story
149 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1877Chico is settled
ChicoTX
A town of 1,116, settled in 1877.
Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,116
2025 Census estimate · +17.8% since 2020
Typical home
$355K
+0.7% in a year
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
32.2
years
Jobs based here
368
Balanced
Is Chico a good place to live?
Chico’s best subject grade is an A for cost of living; its weakest is a C for schools. Chico’s July high is 96°F, where Texas’ towns sit at 95°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. On the outdoors, just 58 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do worse. Chico has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Chico stand out
Where Chico beats most towns.
Small town
1,116 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Chico grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Chico is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsCOpen →HealthFaith Community Hospital 23.1 miles awayCOpen →Jobs & income$76K median household incomeC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 3.6% of households have no car; 2.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 44% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History1 place on the National RegisterC+Open →Civic life3.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.2; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Chico: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chico, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Chico water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Chico’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWise County Early Voting ClerkWise County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code7643176431 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Chico.
SchoolsC
Public schools in Chico fall behind 70% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Chico ISD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
30%of TX districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chico ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 284 | B |
| Chico H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 166 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Chico
Chico has mild winters and hot summers. At 32°F, Chico’s January low is against 37°F in Texas’ towns and 22°F across U.S. towns.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–58°
Spring52–76°
Summer71–94°
Fall54–77°
Nov 7
typical first frost
Mar 29
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC
Chico is less healthy than 65% of U.S. towns
Chico beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 44% of Chico adults sleep under 7 hours.
35%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Chico | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 74% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better22 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Chico | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 15.8% | 19.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.6% | 12.5% |
Faith Community Hospital
23.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A
A typical Chico home is worth about $355K
The typical Chico home is worth about $355,000, up 0.7% in a year, 20% above the Texas typical home.
$355KZillow home value
| Chico | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,317 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Chico$355K
Texas$296K
+0.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most working residents commute out of Chico
Most working residents leave Chico for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Chico fell to 368 in 2023, 367 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Fort Worth (10%), Bridgeport (9%) and Decatur (7%).
2%work in town
| Chico | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 12% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Chico2%
Fort Worth10%
Bridgeport9%
Decatur7%
Irving4%
42 mi
median commute distance
368
jobs based in Chico
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 56% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Chico
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 2007, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Chico.
44risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2007
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chico
17pages on Chico
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Chico; the nearest are
University of North TexasUniversity or college · Public · Denton38 mi$11,309 in-state tuitionNorth Central Texas CollegeCommunity college · Public · Gainesville42.8 mi$3,600 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Chico residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
About Chico
Town in Texas, United States
Chico is a town in Wise County, Texas, United States. The population was 946 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 925 ft
- ZIP code
- 76431
- Area code
- 940
Questions about Chico
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chico, TX expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.