Chico, CA vs Walnut Creek, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Chico

66.4

#1544 nationally

Walnut Creek

61.4

#1910 nationally

Walnut Creek leads in crime level (7.7 vs 19.2). Chico leads in average commute (17.5 min vs 35.1 min). Walnut Creek leads in median household income ($129,971 vs $65,932).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Chico, CA	Walnut Creek, CA
WhereAtHome Score	66.4 (#1544)	61.4 (#1910)
Population	101,301	69,152
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$464,980	$1,032,096
Median Household Income	$65,932	$129,971
Average Commute	17.5 min	35.1 min
Walk Score	49	41
Crime Level	19.2	7.7
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	133	197
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+3.1	D+38.0