Moving to Chico in June - recommendations? (San Francisco, Sacramento: 2015, apartments)

[DeliveryDriver123]

So after living two years around the Sacramento area, we're looking to move to Chico in June. There's just one major problem. After browsing Zillow for homes to rent there appears to be a very limited market in the area.

We're looking at leasing a 3 bedroom house but everything available appears to only be near the schools in the area. That's something we don't want. Are there any good neighborhoods around the same area where homes aren't so close to the school with limited kids? We don't mind the usual noise made by kids playing in their own front or backyard, but we'd like to avoid areas or streets where they might hang out each day.

Our current lease in Sac doesn't expire until June, so we have plenty of time to figure out things until then. After living in an apartment for the last two years we just want some relatively good peace and quiet that comes from living in a home.

Don't mind the usual city noises like traffic or trains but it's the constant activity of kids in neighborhoods around schools that's the problem in our current area. Don't know if some of the kids just aren't attending school and that's the problem or if they're free range kids who are coming into the current complex we live in from the outside.

We also have three cars so that would be another thing. One or two would most likely have to park on the driveway if the home comes with a garage.

[nightlysparrow]

Good luck. No inventory in Chico, due to all the fire victims from the Camp Fire in Paradise still living in RV's/tents//couch surfing/ homeless/renting or buying everything that comes up in Chico. Plus, prices are inflated.

[DeliveryDriver123]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

Good luck. No inventory in Chico, due to all the fire victims from the Camp Fire in Paradise still living in RV's/tents//couch surfing/ homeless/renting or buying everything that comes up in Chico. Plus, prices are inflated.

Yeah. That's what I'm seeing on Zillow. Looks like we'll just be renting a house in Sacramento then.

[EscapeFromCalif]

If you like living in a town overrun by transients, move to Chico. The current city administration ties the hands of law enforcement when it comes to transients committing crimes, being violent, aggressive towards the citizens, defecating wherever they want, etc. A once wonderful town has literally gone into the toilet.

[hye345]

Originally Posted by EscapeFromCalif

If you like living in a town overrun by transients, move to Chico. The current city administration ties the hands of law enforcement when it comes to transients committing crimes, being violent, aggressive towards the citizens, defecating wherever they want, etc. A once wonderful town has literally gone into the toilet.

I lived in Chico for two years, left in October of last year… The above is a great exaggeration. I could see someone saying that about Certain parts of the bay area, or other cities around Chico (Redding, Orroville, etc) but. Chico itself is actually very charming, And relatively well kept.

[evening sun]

I go to Chico several times a week, I do see a few homeless, but it is nowhere near the scale of somewhere such as San Francisco. It is a nice town, but in a tight rental market now, due to the fire victims also looking for homes.

[sierranevada1]

Originally Posted by EscapeFromCalif

If you like living in a town overrun by transients, move to Chico. The current city administration ties the hands of law enforcement when it comes to transients committing crimes, being violent, aggressive towards the citizens, defecating wherever they want, etc. A once wonderful town has literally gone into the toilet.

100% correct, can confirm what you're saying.

[jdoll88]

chico is an ok town by california standards which isn't saying much. Lots of drugs and alcohol abuse quite a bit of crime. Also not enough work imo. Kind of isolated

[moved]

Originally Posted by jdoll88

chico is an ok town by california standards which isn't saying much. Lots of drugs and alcohol abuse quite a bit of crime. Also not enough work imo. Kind of isolated

This is correct. I lived there for three years, and hated every minute of it. If you like living in a college/retiree town with no work, go for it.

[Radaghast]

Originally Posted by DeliveryDriver123

So after living two years around the Sacramento area, we're looking to move to Chico in June. There's just one major problem. After browsing Zillow for homes to rent there appears to be a very limited market in the area.

We're looking at leasing a 3 bedroom house but everything available appears to only be near the schools in the area. That's something we don't want. Are there any good neighborhoods around the same area where homes aren't so close to the school with limited kids? We don't mind the usual noise made by kids playing in their own front or backyard, but we'd like to avoid areas or streets where they might hang out each day.

Our current lease in Sac doesn't expire until June, so we have plenty of time to figure out things until then. After living in an apartment for the last two years we just want some relatively good peace and quiet that comes from living in a home.

Don't mind the usual city noises like traffic or trains but it's the constant activity of kids in neighborhoods around schools that's the problem in our current area. Don't know if some of the kids just aren't attending school and that's the problem or if they're free range kids who are coming into the current complex we live in from the outside.

We also have three cars so that would be another thing. One or two would most likely have to park on the driveway if the home comes with a garage.

Definitely don't move here, the odds of finding a place are against you. I've lived here my whole life, I'm 32, and right now I have to live with my folks because I can't rent anywhere - nothing's available, and if something is, it's outside my price range.

I rented a one bedroom apartment on W. Sacramento Ave in late 2015 for $745/month, as soon as I moved out a year later, they raised the rent to around $850. That was BEFORE the Camp Fire. Once the fire happened, home values and rent started skyrocketing because demand shot up. I can only imagine what that same place goes for now, probably over $900. Which is absurd for Chico.

The point is, there are hundreds—maybe even thousands—of people still waiting for apartments and houses to open up. There are waitlists hundreds of names long... so I wouldn't advise moving here. Unless you know somebody who's willing to sign a lease over to you, you're not going to have much luck here.

The city's overcrowded anyway, a town of nearly 30,000 people merged with ours overnight and now our resources are struggling to keep up.

Originally Posted by jdoll88

chico is an ok town by california standards which isn't saying much. Lots of drugs and alcohol abuse quite a bit of crime. Also not enough work imo. Kind of isolated

I feel like those kinds of statistics are going to be skewed because of the college population, the majority of whom I don't consider to be Chicoans but rather transients (in the true sense of the word, as opposed to the vagrants who sleep in city plaza) who are just passing through while they party for four years and do a little college on the side.

That being said, there is a significant rise in things like opioids (fentanyl, heroin, etc) in recent months. Not to mention crime in general which has seen a spike after the Camp Fire.