| Measure | ChicoCalifornia, United States Remove Chico | Santa CruzCalifornia, United States Remove Santa Cruz |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.8 | 4.9 |
| Connector Score | 8.0 | 7.1 |
| Safety | 7.0 | 4.8 |
| Affordability | 5.5 | 1.3 |
| Transportation | 7.5 | 4.5 |
| Car-free friendliness | 6.0 | 3.5 |
| Walkability | 7.6 | 4.7 |
| Things to do | 6.1 | 5.3 |
| Food & dining | 4.7 | 3.9 |
| Places to stay | 5.7 | 5.4 |
| Nature & outdoors | 9.0 | 7.0 |
| Scenic value | 6.5 | 8.5 |
| Family friendliness | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 6.3 | 4.5 |
| Nightlife | 4.5 | 3.8 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 5.9 | 4.4 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 8.0 | 1.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $115 | $180 |
| Mid-range | $168 | $283 |
| Luxury | $279 | $509 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 110 | 170 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $1,550 | $2,771 |
| Median home price | $475,000 | $1,209,000 |
| Population | 105K | 62K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Airport | Drive |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Chico | — | 4 h 31 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | Outdoors, National parks | Beaches |
| Known for | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Wineries & breweries, Live music, Shopping | Beaches, Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Live music |
| When to go | Peak: CSU graduation, move-in and football we… | Peak: Summer weekends and holidays are highes… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.