Chico or Redding? Crime and sunny days? (Sacramento: apartment, rental)

[pood]

I'm planning to migrate down to Norther California end of next month for a few month to escape the gloomy seattle weather.

Which is better as far as sunny days Chico or Redding?

What about crime rate? I read on Sperling that crime has gone up a lot.

I am 25, asian, and just can't live without the mountains that I'm use to in Western Washington. Which is closest to good hiking trails?

Cost of living and housing prices are particuarlly important too me, both are cheaper than Seattle, and I telecommute for work, so I can work wherever there is internet.

[wburg]

Both Redding and Chico have a whole lot of sunny days. Redding gets a little colder in winter, with very occasional snow (once every couple of years) because it is farther into the foothills.

Both have some crime, but neither has serious crime problems.

Redding is closer to mountains, but Chico is a fairly short jaunt from the Sierras so either is a good choice.

Chico is probably a bit higher cost of living because it is a college town: lots of students tends to drive up rental housing costs.

Also because of the college, Chico is probably a bit more active in nightlife/music/recreation than Redding. Downtown Redding is starting to come back to life but it has a long way to go. Of course, if you don't care for the college crowd Chico might not be your thing. They have a long-standing reputation as a party school.

[pood]

Originally Posted by wburg

Both Redding and Chico have a whole lot of sunny days. Redding gets a little colder in winter, with very occasional snow (once every couple of years) because it is farther into the foothills.

Both have some crime, but neither has serious crime problems.

Redding is closer to mountains, but Chico is a fairly short jaunt from the Sierras so either is a good choice.

Chico is probably a bit higher cost of living because it is a college town: lots of students tends to drive up rental housing costs.

Also because of the college, Chico is probably a bit more active in nightlife/music/recreation than Redding. Downtown Redding is starting to come back to life but it has a long way to go. Of course, if you don't care for the college crowd Chico might not be your thing. They have a long-standing reputation as a party school.

I'm curious, how many days of sunshine there are during the winter and early spring months?

Since I would be down there March-June, will there be a lot of gloomy days? Cold I can stand, but gloomy days not so much.

How hard will it be to find a furnished 1 bedroom apartment or house for under $800/month? In either of those cities. How about a 3 month lease? I'm planning to spend part of my summer in Seattle then go overseas for late summmer and early fall.

[happ]

You can check out weather data for Chico & Redding here: National Weather Service - NWS Sacramento. Generally Redding is sunnier w/ less winter fog than Chico & probably a little warmer overall. In-fact, Redding can be one of the hottest areas in California during summer. I understand that crime is more of a problem in Redding compared to Chico. I would pick Chico over Redding for things to do but both towns have a lot of recreational opportunities [ie. boating\ swimming\ hiking\ skiing\ biking, etc].

[wburg]

March varies, usually it's pretty rainy but things are starting to brighten up. April-June are generally sunny. $800 for a 1br apartment should be easy in either city, I have no clue about 3-month leases though.

[happ]

Keep in mind that the Sacramento Valley is much warmer than Western Washington. If you are interested in a sunny climate be forewarned that both Chico & especially Redding can be overwhelmingly hot during summer [100F+ days on end]. Air conditioning is vital to survive summers.

[mateo45]

Originally Posted by pood

I'm planning to migrate down to Norther California end of next month for a few month to escape the gloomy seattle weather.

Which is better as far as sunny days Chico or Redding?

What about crime rate? I read on Sperling that crime has gone up a lot.

I am 25, asian, and just can't live without the mountains that I'm use to in Western Washington. Which is closest to good hiking trails?

Cost of living and housing prices are particuarlly important too me, both are cheaper than Seattle, and I telecommute for work, so I can work wherever there is internet.

I hear 'ya re: "gloomy seattle weather" and 2 years ago I moved from the Puget Sound area (Snohomish) to the foothills just outside Chico.

No serious complaints, especially re: the weather. Rarely a "gloomy" day here, even during the cooler & wetter winter months (which can also occasionally mean snow at the higher elevations, but not down in the valley in Chico). And the sun usually pops back out again after the rain is done. But it does get "toasty" here in the summer, although it's mostly the proverbial "dry" kind of heat, and really haven't found it difficult to adjust.

Note that the Redding area may have a bit more "cowboy" culture to it, whereas Chico has the University, and also the surrounding area is more agricultural rather than "ranching". Can't speak for Redding crime, but the Chico area doesn't seem to have much of that.

Good luck!