Chico, CA Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Chico, CA metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Chico, CA Market Analysis
Market Overview
Chico’s PropertyIQ Score of 21 out of 100 places the market in a relatively weak position compared with broader California benchmarks. The median home value is $398,224, roughly 52% of the state average of $764,158, and the rent index is $1,529, below the state average of $2,036. At the same time, the local median household income is $67,928, compared with $99,122 statewide, and the unemployment rate is 5.8%, above the state average of 5.1%. These figures suggest Chico is more affordable in absolute home prices and rents, but it also has lower household incomes and a softer local employment picture.
Market activity reinforces the low score. Median days on market is 64 days, and 21.1% of listings have had a price cut. There are 651 homes for sale. The top score drivers include the 12-month home value momentum of 1.16%, the 3-month home value momentum of -1.21%, median days on market, and the share of listings with a price cut. Home value change over the past year was $2, essentially flat. The combination of flat annual value, negative recent momentum, and notable price-cut activity indicates a market that is cooling or soft rather than appreciating strongly.
Key Trends
The first trend is weakening price momentum. The 12-month home value momentum of 1.16% indicates slight positive growth over the year, but the 3-month momentum of -1.21% shows recent declines. The median home value year-over-year change was $2, effectively flat. This mix suggests that the modest annual gain has stalled or reversed in recent months.
A second trend is slower sales conditions. Median days on market is 64 days, and 21.1% of listings have had a price cut. With 651 homes for sale, the market appears to have ample inventory relative to the pace of sales. These conditions often point to buyers having more negotiating power.
A third trend is relative affordability. Chico’s median home value of $398,224 is about 52% of the state average of $764,158. Median household income is $67,928, about 69% of the state average of $99,122. This means home prices are more discounted than local incomes compared with the state, which may help offset the lower income base. However, unemployment at 5.8% remains above the state average of 5.1%.
A fourth trend involves the rental market. The rent index of $1,529 is about 75% of the state average of $2,036. Because rents have not fallen as far relative to home values, the rental income potential may look stronger locally than at the state level, although this must be weighed against a lower overall score and negative recent price momentum.
Who Is This Market For
This market may suit first-time buyers looking for a lower purchase price. The median home value of $398,224 is well below the state average, and the 21.1% share of listings with a price cut plus 64 days on market may give buyers room to negotiate. However, local incomes are lower at $67,928, and unemployment is 5.8%, so affordability still depends on household finances.
Investors may find the rent-to-price relationship interesting. The rent index is $1,529 while the median home value is $398,224, meaning rents are relatively closer to state levels than home prices are. That said, the negative 3-month home value momentum and flat year-over-year change of $2 mean investors should not rely on short-term appreciation. Move-up buyers may find opportunities among price-cut listings, but weak price momentum and slower sale times may make it harder to sell an existing home quickly. Population growth data is not available, so demand from newcomers cannot be evaluated.
Outlook
The near-term data points toward continued softness. The 3-month home value momentum of -1.21%, 21.1% of listings with a price cut, and median days on market of 64 days all suggest that buyers are not facing strong competition. The 651 homes for sale provides inventory, and the $2 year-over-year change in median home value shows essentially no appreciation. The 12-month momentum of 1.16% offers a small positive signal, but it is overshadowed by the recent three-month decline. With local unemployment at 5.8% and median household income at $67,928, local purchasing power may remain constrained relative to the state. Because population growth data is not available, the demand outlook cannot be fully assessed. Unless the three-month momentum turns positive and days on market or price-cut shares improve, Chico is likely to remain a buyer-friendly market with limited price growth.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated October 1, 2026.
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Chico, CA market data
Chico, CA Housing Market Overview
Chico, CA's median home value is $398K, up 1.2% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 64 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 21 sits below the state average of 50, marking a market positioned to lag its state over the next three years.
The Chico, CA metro area is one of 900+ US metropolitan markets that PropertyIQ scores each month. A single PropertyIQ Score blends Zillow price momentum with Realtor.com market-flow signals to estimate 3-year excess appreciation versus the market's state — showing not just where prices stand today, but how the market is positioned relative to its peers.
Pacific Coast housing markets feature the nation's highest price points alongside strong wage growth from technology, entertainment, and trade sectors. Supply constraints from geographic barriers and regulatory environments create persistent affordability challenges but also strong long-term appreciation potential. Within the Pacific, Chico, CA's PropertyIQ Score of 21 runs below the Pacific norm.
California's housing market is defined by extreme supply-demand imbalance, with CEQA regulations and geographic constraints limiting new construction. Despite affordability challenges, strong wage growth in tech and entertainment sectors sustains prices.
Each month, PropertyIQ updates its score for Chico, CA using four inputs: Zillow ZHVI twelve-month and three-month momentum, Realtor.com median days on market, and the Realtor.com share of listings with price cuts. These four signals are combined into a single 1 to 99 score computed across all metro markets and calibrated so 50 represents the state average, making it a direct read of how this market is positioned to perform relative to its state. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 1.2% over the past year.
Use PropertyIQ's interactive analytics to compare Chico, CA against any other US metro on its PropertyIQ Score and underlying metrics. Generate a free AI market report, explore historical trends on the graphs page, or see how this market ranks on the scores dashboard.
Counties in the Chico, CA metro area
ZIP codes in the Chico, CA metro area
View all 18 →Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chico, CA a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Chico, CA currently scores 21, a weak-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to lag its state over the next three years. For buyers, cooling demand usually brings more inventory, longer sale times, and real leverage to negotiate on price. Backing that up, the median home value here is $398K, up 1.2% over the past year. So whether Chico, CA is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Chico, CA?
Chico, CA's PropertyIQ Score is 21, indicating weak momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 21 places Chico, CA below its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Chico, CA rising or falling?
Home prices in Chico, CA are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 1.2%, reaching $398K. Over the latest three months, values slipped 1.2%, a sign near-term demand is softening. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Chico, CA's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Chico, CA?
In Chico, CA, homes sell in a median of 64 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 21% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Chico, CA market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.