The 10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Chico, CA for 2023

Chico is in northern central California, roughly 90 minutes north of the state capital Sacramento. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Chico is home to an estimated 102,338 people, with 12.5% of them 65 years of age or over. Its somewhat remote location puts it far from major cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, so Chico’s older residents get the full benefit of California’s exceptionally sunny weather without the downside of the state’s notorious urban congestion and high cost of living.

Seniors who feel prepared to move from independent living situations but don’t need the level of care available from a nursing home may find that assisted living is the best option. Here, seniors can receive support with their day-to-day activities while still retaining as much independence as their health allows. The average monthly cost for residence in a Chico assisted living facility is $5,106.

This guide to assisted living in Chico explores some of the benefits and drawbacks of calling it home and includes a cost comparison between Chico and other California cities. It concludes with a short list of government agencies and nonprofit organizations tasked with supporting the older population in the area.

The California Department of Social Services’ Adult Care Licensing Program oversees assisted living facilities and other residential care communities in the state. Its brief is to ensure safety and quality of care by regularly monitoring such facilities’ compliance with California law.

• Chico can get fairly hot in the summer, with July and August highs regularly reaching the mid-90s. That’s offset by comfortable year-round lows, though. It’s rare for the temperature to drop below freezing even in winter; in the coldest months of December and January, the average high is 55, and the average low is 37 degrees. Seniors who love the sun are likely to enjoy this area: the average U.S. city gets 205 sunny days per year, while Chico gets an impressive 276.
• The overall cost of living in Chico is much like its cost of assisted living — high when compared to the U.S. in general but low when compared to California as a whole. Specifically, Chico’s cost of living is 17% higher than the U.S. average, while California’s cost of living is 50% higher than the U.S. average.
• Taxes can be a significant drain on the wallets of Chico-area seniors. While the sales tax rate in Chico is identical to the U.S. average of 7.3%, the income tax rate of 9.3% is over twice as high as the national average of 4.6%.
• While Chico is located hours away from most of California’s population centers, Enloe Medical Center in Chico is consistently ranked among the top 50 hospitals in all of California by U.S. News and World Report’s annual study. The facility is particularly well-regarded for multiple procedures related to heart surgery, kidney failure and diabetes.
• Chico’s crime rates are simultaneously slightly below and significantly above national averages. On a scale where 1 represents low crime, and 100 represents high crime, Chico’s violent crime is ranked 19.4, putting it under the national average of 22.7. However, the city’s property crime rate is 51.5, much higher than the national average of 35.4. Most assisted living facilities have multi-level security for entrances and exits, making property crime less of a consideration for their residents than it might be for seniors receiving care in private homes.

According to the Genworth Financial Cost of Care Survey 2021, residents of assisted living facilities in Chico pay an average of $5,106 per month. Exact costs may be higher or lower based on location, services and related factors.

Though Chico’s monthly cost for assisted living is roughly $600 higher than the national average of $4,500, it’s also just slightly below the California state average of $5,250. Within California, costs tend to be higher closer to the Pacific coast: Santa Rosa reports the highest prices at $7,048 a month. Generally speaking, lower prices are found in northern and central California, with Redding reporting prices of $4,450 a month and Stockton reporting the state’s lowest cost at $3,649 a month. The destination city of Los Angeles perfectly matches the state’s average at $5,250.

Seniors who don’t need round-the-clock support may find that adult day health care fulfills their needs and is much cheaper than other choices at $2,676 a month. Prices jump significantly for care rendered in the home, at $5,720 a month for both in-home care and home health care. Nursing home care involves an even larger price jump, with a semiprivate room costing $9,201 a month.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in California page.