Moving to Chico (San Francisco, Sacramento, Redding: for sale, 2014, houses)

[kux]

Hello,
We are planning to move to Chico in 2014. I would like to know how expensive is the cost of living, say compared to Sacramento, and San Francisco.
(1) Are there many community colleges, colleges, besides Cal State University, or in a 20 miles radius of Chico? My spouse is considering teaching in a community college/college in Chico.
(2) I understand that California Public School System tends to be competitive. How are the public schools (elementary to high school) in Chico rated?
(3) Is it a comparitively *safe* place for growing kids?
(4) Are there new construction/housing development in Chico, and how are housing prices compared to Sacramento?
(5) What are the common various activities people do in Chico?
Thanks
Kux

[prosin]

OK, I'll take stab at your questions. My "credentials"--I lived in Chico from 1986 to 1992 and lived in Redding (1 and 1/2 hours north of Chico, but the only other big city in far northern CA) from 1993-2006. That said: Living in Chico is, by my estimate, about 2/3 the cost of living in Sac and about 1/2 the cost of SF. YMMV.

1. Butte College is the closest JC (CC) to Chico, and even it is 25 minutes away by car. Next closest is Shasta College in Redding; but Shasta has a satellite campus in Red Bluff, which is closer to Chico. It really depends on what your spouse teaches; not all majors are offered at Red Bluff's satellite campus. CCs are also in Yuba City and Quincy; but commuting there would be tedious. Redding also is the home of Simpson University and U. of Phoenix; perhaps there may be options at those locations.
   
2. The competitiveness you speak of regarding public schools is really only the in the Bay Area or LA regions. For the schools in the north state, your best bet is to visit the campuses and determine which is the best fit for your children, e.g. arts, sports, extracurriculars, language options, etc., then go from there to find housing so you can attend the school of choice. Commuting in Chico is easy compared to big cities, so crossing town to your destination is not a big deal. If your kids are into more rural, the local schools have 4-H and FFA available.
   
3. The north state is incredibly safe compared to inner-city schools.
   
4. I don't know about new construction in Chico, as I haven't lived there in years. But it is much cheaper than Sac overall. A $500,000 home in Sac may be on a city lot, but an equivalent home near Chico may be on an acre or more.
   
5. Lots of outdoor activities. Hiking, biking, swimming, tennis, and the standard kids fare--soccer, baseball, dancing, martial arts, football, roller skating, miniature golf, etc. It just depends on what your kids are into. Bidwell Park is a treasure in itself. Also, downtown has a farmer's market, a Taste of Chico event, and Concerts in the Park. The fairgrounds gets the major concert tour acts. The university brings in big names, too. Lots of local theater. And, yes, rodeo, if you are interested.

Hope that helps. If my spouse's job wasn't dependent on location, we'd live in Chico. It's a great place.

[BeauCharles]

Home prices in Chico are some of the higher you'll find in the Sacramento Valley. The town is in demand because of the university and prices are a good 50% higher than surrounding towns (like mine). Its at least comparable to nicer areas of the Sacramento metro area. Price per square foot is about $170.

[kux]

Appreciate for the responses. How is the job market in Chico? Are there many companies (industry) in that area? Do people live in Sacramento and travel to Chico to work? How practical is that? Train or bus system.
Thanks

[StandingLenticular]

Chico is about 1.5 hours from Sacramento, so it's a long commute. There are decent houses for sale in Chico in the 200s (I've been looking!). The town is great, with awesome parks, a lively downtown, and great local flavor. Job market is not too big, and there's a lot of competition because of lots of college graduates wanting to stick around. If you're looking for a cheaper home, there are nice homes in Paradise (15-20 min away). Paradise has a slower pace of life, but is still nice, especially if you're looking for somewhere quiet to raise a kid.

[wburg]

Commuting from Chico to Sacramento is exceptionally rare. There is only one train per day in each direction, the long-distance Coast Starlight, and it passes through in the middle of the night. There are Amtrak and Greyhound buses, I don't think there are commuter buses. Chico is a pretty small town, basically a college town with elements of farm town, but a large amount of the local economy is retail and commercial there to serve the college and its students--bookstores, cafes, bars. Kux, have you ever been to this part of California or visited the area? A lot of people tend to assume that cities like Chico, Redding and Sacramento are close to each other but there is a whole lot of open country between them, and not all that many reasons to travel those distances. I think the last time there was regular commuter train service between Sacramento and Chico was 1940...

[calnbs]

Chico is a wonderful place to live. Spent 4 yrs there for school in the mid 1990s. There isn't a lot of jobs there. Plenty of beautiful parks, streams to enjoy during the hot summers. I remember, it's very quiet during the summer because many of the Chico State students go elsewhere for summer jobs or they just go back home. For your sanity, DO NOT live near Chico State or any where near students. Trust me on that. Overall, I believe Chico is a very safe place to live and raise children. I think I was more concern about drunk driving than being rob when I was there.

[bradlywhite]

A newer company in Chico just had a couple of job fairs and hired approx. 500 people to fill positions in their company that gives tech support to websites such as Google and Yahoo. Build.com is based in Chico, and is the third largest online building products retailer. I know of another company in Chico that provides computer connectivity services to many local firms, and some in the Bay Area. Sierra Nevada Brewery is also based in Chico. There are quite a few local companies there that have really done well.

[kux]

Appreciate for all the info. Thanks

[chessgeek]

Originally Posted by StandingLenticular

Chico is about 1.5 hours from Sacramento, so it's a long commute. There are decent houses for sale in Chico in the 200s (I've been looking!). The town is great, with awesome parks, a lively downtown, and great local flavor. Job market is not too big, and there's a lot of competition because of lots of college graduates wanting to stick around. If you're looking for a cheaper home, there are nice homes in Paradise (15-20 min away). Paradise has a slower pace of life, but is still nice, especially if you're looking for somewhere quiet to raise a kid.

You also usually get a little snow in Paradise in the winter but not an overwhelming amount as is the case in even higher elevations. Paradise also gets some nice fall color. Chico is very close for restaurants, shopping, movie theaters and other activities. Paradise itself has a few decent restaurants, but is quieter than Chico with much less activity. Great suggestion!