City · Texas
Chico, Texas
Chico, city, in Wise County, Texas. Chico had 1,116 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 17.8% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 946 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,512 (±460). GEOID 4814620.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,116
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 946 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,512 ±460
Median household income
$75,739
±$4,775 (90% margin)
Texas: $78,476
Median home value
$170,300
±$16,712 (90% margin)
Texas: $283,800
Median gross rent
$1,317
±$374 (90% margin)
Texas: $1,403
Where is Chico and what county is it in?
Chico is a city in Wise County, Texas. It covers 1.5 square miles of land, 623 residents per square mile in 2020.
Chico is in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 11 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Chico, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,116 people lived in Chico on July 1, 2025, up 17.8% since 2020, faster than Texas (+8.8%). The 2020 Census counted 946 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,512 (±460).
| Measure | Chico | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,512 ±460 | 75,005 | no clear change |
| Households | 478 ±102 | 25,135 | +130 |
| Average household size | 3.16 ±0.61 | 2.94 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 554 ±108 | 27,530 | no clear change |
Chico's population since 2000
From 947 in 2000 to 1,116 in 2025: up 17.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Chico as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Chico?
The median resident of Chico is 32.2 years old; 28.2% are under 18 and 12.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 77.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 16.9%.
| Measure | Chico | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.2 ±7.0 | 39.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 28.2% ±6.5 pts | 24.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 12.4% ±4.0 pts | 15.5% | – |
| Male | 50.7% ±4.5 pts | 50.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 16.9% ±7.4 pts | 21.1% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 77.0% ±8.3 pts | 72.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.2% ±3.9 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.4% ±2.0 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±3.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.6% ±2.5 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.8% ±3.3 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.5% ±3.4 pts | 8.8% | – |
| With a disability | 26.6% ±7.9 pts | 15.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 20.0% ±6.7 pts | 14.9% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.2% ±5.6 pts | 87.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.0% ±7.3 pts | 22.2% | +9.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.0% ±5.1 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.1% ±3.9 pts | 88.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Chico earn?
Half of Chico's 478 households earn less than $75,739 a year (±$4,775), against $93,421 in Wise County and $78,476 in Texas. In 2015-2019 it was $59,776 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Chico | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,739 ±$4,775 | $93,421 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $82,175 ±$10,749 | $113,388 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,154 ±$5,528 | $38,827 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 10.5% ±7.1 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 2.9% ±3.0 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.5% ±6.5 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.2% ±3.3 pts | 95.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.1% ±6.5 pts | 90.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Chico?
Owners occupy 66.9% of Chico's occupied homes and renters 33.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $170,300 by its owner (±$16,712). The median renter pays $1,317 a month including utilities, and 35.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Chico | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $170,300 ±$16,712 | $304,900 | +$41,569 |
| Median gross rent | $1,317 ±$374 | $1,299 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 35.6% ±18.6 pts | 30.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,469 ±$387 | $2,153 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 66.9% ±10.7 pts | 81.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 33.1% ±10.7 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Housing units | 554 ±108 | 27,530 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±14.1 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.2% ±8.9 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.0% ±7.0 pts | 70.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 17.5% ±6.7 pts | 22.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 5.1% ±5.3 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.9% ±4.3 pts | 17.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.1% ±6.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.6% ±2.9 pts | 2.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Chico building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Chico in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 1.8 per 1,000 residents against 6.6 across Texas.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Chico work and get to work?
84.7% of Chico's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 26.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 14.7%.
| Measure | Chico | Wise County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.4% ±6.0 pts | 64.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 14.7% ±7.4 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 84.7% ±7.6 pts | 75.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.4% ±2.9 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 2.6% ±4.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.0% ±6.6 pts | 12.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 26.5 min ±6.8 | 34.3 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Chico?
No census tract lies mostly in Chico; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1504.05Wise County | 4,383 | $76,477 |
| Tract 1504.04Wise County | 2,906 | $97,309 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Chico) · Census block assignment files
How does Chico compare with other places in Texas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Chico is the 9,849th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 777th-most populous of 1,224 in Texas.
Chico is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 777th | 1,224 |
Chico's figures with every place in Texas (CSV)
Every place in Texas, sortable · Compare Chico with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Chico?
21 of the 57 figures for Chico on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Chico are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Chico.