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Downtown Chico Texas Wiki (1 of 1)Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Chico

How is Chico run?

Chico’s city government spent $592,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $494 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Chico didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.

Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$592,000
year to September 30, 2022 · Census estimate
Per resident, 2022
$494
Census estimate · not compared
Long-term debt
$678,000
end of FY2022 · Census estimate
City staff, 2022
0
full-time · 15 part-time · March payroll $6,989 · Census estimate
Typical tax bill
$1,922
1.13% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Chico is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $494 per resident a year, or $1.35 a day

Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 50%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 30%Fees & charges 23%Property taxes 20%Sales taxes 18%From the state 8%Interest, fines & other 1%
An estimate

Chico didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.

Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $25,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.2 million.
Compared with similar places · Over the years

No comparison or trend for Chico yet

Every year of Chico’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the city reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.

How Town Hall compares budgets →
Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,922 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.13% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Chico$1,922
$1,922
typical bill a year
1.13%
effective rate
$170,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Chico’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Chico →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Chico

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Chico’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Chico yet.
The school district

Chico Independent School District

Chico’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Chico →
$14,066
per pupil · TX $12,815
558
students
$23.9 million
long-term debt

Of the $14,066 per pupil, $7,677 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 84%State 11%Federal 5%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Chico’s votes are counted by county

Texas 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 Wise County’s results.

President · Wise County’s results38,243 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican84.7%32,385 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat14.7%5,605 votes

Others: 0.7% (253 votes).

Most votes in Wise County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Chico lies in Wise County. Every 2024 race in Wise County is on the county’s page.

Wise County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Chico

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Chico.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Chico’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Chico’s government

How much does Chico spend per resident?

About $494 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Chico didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $1.2 million.

What is the property tax rate in Chico?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,922 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.13% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the city’s assessor.

Who runs Chico’s government?

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?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Chico alone. Wise County, where 100% of Chico lies, voted Trump 84.7%, Harris 14.7% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Chico?

0 full-time and 15 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $6,989 (about $83,868 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.

Who represents Chico in the state legislature?

State Senate District 12 (Tan Parker) and State House District 64 (Andy Hopper). The House 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.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 (for Chico, the Bureau’s estimates); 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 →