Chico has 15 communities worth knowing, each with a different mix of lot size, age of homes and surroundings. Foothill golf and lake communities sit on the east side, historic grids near Downtown, and acreage on the north edge. Pick one below, or start with the Chico neighborhoods guide for a side-by-side price table.
The 15 communities
- Amber Grove: A single-story subdivision north of town just off the Esplanade, built by one builder, with a small park.
- Around Chico State: The blocks around Chico State University mix century-old Victorians with newer infill homes, wide front porches and tree-lined sidewalks, within walking distance of campus and Downtown Chico.
- Big Chico Creek Estates: Big Chico Creek Estates is a west Chico neighborhood of custom-built single-family homes on generous lots, many backing onto walking paths along Big Chico Creek.
- Butte Creek Country Club: Butte Creek Country Club, established in 1962, is a mid-century golf course neighborhood in Chico bordered by Highway 99 and Butte Creek, with mature oak, redwood and sycamore trees.
- California Park: California Park is a master-planned east Chico community around two private lakes with more than 50 acres of preserved open space and walking trails.
- Canyon Oaks Country Club: Canyon Oaks Country Club is a gated Chico foothill community built around a private 18-hole golf course designed by Jim Summers.
- Doe Mill: A 48-acre walkable community in south Chico built in 2002, with craftsman-style homes, fourplexes and bungalows.
- Downtown Chico: Downtown Chico pairs English cottage-style homes shaded by mature sycamores with the city's commercial core, with Lower Bidwell Park, Mansion Park and the Esplanade at its edges.
- Garner/Keefer: Garner/Keefer is a rural far-north Chico area near Keefer Slough with ranchettes, orchard land and custom homes on acre-plus lots, and horse properties are common.
- Hancock Park: Hancock Park is a single-story northeast Chico neighborhood built largely by John Drake, next to a nearly four-acre park and Bidwell Ranch open space with trail access.
- Heritage Oaks: Heritage Oaks is an early-2000s Chico neighborhood built by Epick Homes, within walking distance of the Chico Mall and bordering the Teichert Ponds.
- Little Chico Creek Estates: Little Chico Creek Estates is an east Chico neighborhood on former olive orchard land beside Baroni Park and Little Chico Creek, facing Meriam Park.
- Lower Bidwell/Vallombrosa: Lower Bidwell and Vallombrosa is an established area northwest of Bidwell Park with many 1950s homes and larger older estates built between 1910 and 1960 along Vallombrosa Avenue.
- Neal Dow: Neal Dow is a Chico neighborhood with bike lanes and shaded walking paths, near Highway 99 and Mangrove Avenue, with Neal Dow Elementary, Hooker Oak Elementary and Oakdale School in the area.
- The Avenues: The Avenues, known locally as Chico Vecino, is one of Chico's oldest neighborhoods: a dense, tree-canopied grid of homes from single-story cottages to multi-level houses, near Enloe Medical Center.
How do I compare Chico neighborhoods?
Start with the neighborhoods guide, which compares recent closed-sale price ranges. Then check current numbers on the market statistics page. Descriptions here cover the homes, parks and surroundings, not the people. For current sales in any community, call or text 707-672-6549.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Chico communities have lakes or a golf course?
California Park is built around two private lakes. Canyon Oaks and Butte Creek Country Club are built around golf courses.
Which Chico communities are best for larger lots?
Garner/Keefer on the north edge has acre-plus lots, ranchettes and horse properties. North Chico, covered in the neighborhoods guide, also has half-acre-plus parcels.
Which Chico communities are closest to Downtown?
Downtown Chico itself, The Avenues, and Lower Bidwell/Vallombrosa are all close to the core and to Bidwell Park.
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