Longview Chico

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Longview to Chico is unfavorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 89.5 to 101.2 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $426/mo.

+$10,509
BLS median salary higher in Chico
395 to 477
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
14.7:1 to 21.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$10,354
DOL infant care higher / yr in Chico

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 89.5 → 101.2
Rent Delta: +$426/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $11K higher median salary
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - 12% higher cost of living
  • - $426/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher violent crime rate
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 89.5 to 101.2, so the same paycheck buys less in Chico (ratio 1.13). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $426/mo ($5,112/yr) from $1,199 in Longview to $1,625 in Chico.

Longview still leads on 5 of 7 federal dimensions, the origin keeps the edge. Chico sits #363 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Longview is #151/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Unfavorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $10,509 higher ($58,714 → $69,223). Labor-market size: 109,710 tracked jobs at origin vs 70,590 at destination.

State retirement friendliness favors staying put: Texas scores 65 (C, #19/51) vs California at 40 (F, #50/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Longview
Chico
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 89.5
RPP 101.2
Longview
Rent (2BR)
$1,199/mo
$1,625/mo
Longview
Wages
$58,714
$69,223
Chico
Crime
395 per 100K
477 per 100K
Longview
Schools
14.7:1
21.5:1
Longview
Childcare
$7,566/yr
$17,920/yr
Longview
Environment
35693 violations
17705 violations
Chico

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · Texas
65 C #19/51
Income tax
100
Property tax
55
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
44
Destination state · California
40 F #50/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
72
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
4

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Longview to see what you'd need to earn in Chico to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Chico
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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026