Where to live in Ventura County (Oxnard, Thousand Oaks: crime rates, hotels, safe neighborhoods)

[the city]

Here are the areas you want to avoid:

Central Oxnard, South Oxnard, and East Oxnard (about 150,000 population live within these areas)

The Avenues and Montalvo in Ventura (its near downtown Ventura)

In Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Camarillo I can't really think of any bad areas. The bad areas in those communities aren't that "bad". Simi does have a so-so bad part, but I can't remember where it is.

The most desirable parts of Oxnard are the harbor area which puts your kids into Pacifica High School, There are several private high schools near the harbor in Oxnard where kids could go too.

In Ventura, I heard less rich people live near downtown and the richer ones live further away. Buena Vista High School in Ventura is really good and is away from downtown where as Venture High is in downtown.

In Simi Valley, the area close to Simi Valley High is for less rich people, and then the area near the two other high schools are good.

I would just look at the different high schools in the area and that will tell you alot about the area.

In Oxnard I would stay away from Port Hueneme High, Oxnard High, and Channel Islands. Those schools all rank low in their API report. Rio Mesa and Pacifica have okay API scores. Pacifica is the better one.

[HSP1161]

A few points of clarification:

Originally Posted by the city

The Avenues and Montalvo in Ventura (its near downtown Ventura)

The Avenue / Westside is the community along Ventura Ave on the northwest end of town. Montalvo is on the southeastern end of Ventura, just across the Santa Clara river and bordering Oxnard. It's about 5 freeway exits from downtown.

Originally Posted by the city

In Ventura, I heard less rich people live near downtown and the richer ones live further away. Buena Vista High School in Ventura is really good and is away from downtown where as Venture High is in downtown.

"Rich people" tend to live in the beachfront homes in Pierpont, Hobson Heights in midtown and some of the homes in Downtown -- specifically above Poli. Ventura High School is squarely in Midtown, about 2 miles south of Downtown.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by the city

In Simi Valley, the area close to Simi Valley High is for less rich people, and then the area near the two other high schools are good.

Simi Valley isn't for rich people....

And just a general note on "rich people" in California, with the exception of the beach they tend to live in communities that are fairly isolated from everyone else. That is, you'd never drive through the community unless you knew somewhere there. If you want to see the "rich people" in Ventura County see Somis, Hidden valley, Lake Sherwood, North ranch (the hills between Westlake blvd and Lindero), etc....not the beaches in Oxnard and Ventura.

[the city]

Originally Posted by user_id

Simi Valley isn't for rich people....

And just a general note on "rich people" in California, with the exception of the beach they tend to live in communities that are fairly isolated from everyone else. That is, you'd never drive through the community unless you knew somewhere there. If you want to see the "rich people" in Ventura County see Somis, Hidden valley, Lake Sherwood, North ranch (the hills between Westlake blvd and Lindero), etc....not the beaches in Oxnard and Ventura.

Exuse me, when I mention rich I consider the upper middle class to be rich. Which is making at least $100,000 per year.

Upper middle class I think live on the beaches of Oxnard and Ventura and all over Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Camarillo. Also lots of middle class in these communities. And Oxnard being large enough to have alot of working class people too.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by the city

Exuse me, when I mention rich I consider the upper middle class to be rich. Which is making at least $100,000 per year.

$100,000/year is pocket change. If you're talking about people making $100,000/year and up then you should really use a different word.... In California even the middle-class often have household incomes of ~$100,000.

Originally Posted by the city

Upper middle class I think live on the beaches of Oxnard and Ventura and all over Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Camarillo.

Unless you are using some bizarre made up definition of "upper middle-class", then no, this cohort doesn't live "all over Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo". Simi Valley is almost entirely working and middle-class, Camarillo is similar with perhaps a larger middle-class. Thousand Oaks has the largest upper middle-class population but they by no means live "all over" the city, they live in particular neighborhoods.

I'd imagine the people on the beaches in Ventura County are pretty varied.

[the city]

Originally Posted by user_id

$100,000/year is pocket change. If you're talking about people making $100,000/year and up then you should really use a different word.... In California even the middle-class often have household incomes of ~$100,000.


Unless you are using some bizarre made up definition of "upper middle-class", then no, this cohort doesn't live "all over Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo". Simi Valley is almost entirely working and middle-class, Camarillo is similar with perhaps a larger middle-class. Thousand Oaks has the largest upper middle-class population but they by no means live "all over" the city, they live in particular neighborhoods.

I'd imagine the people on the beaches in Ventura County are pretty varied.

I was referring to $100,000+ or 100k and up is upper middle class. Until you have an income of $200,000 and up AND a million dollars and more in assests are you in the upper class.

I don't think Simi Valley's working class is that big. I think Camarillo, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks all are mostly middle class but then Thousand Oaks has the largest upper middle class.

Oxnard has a large middle class, but also the largest working class.

Simi Valley's high schools are all highly ranked and Royal is on par with Camarillo High.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by the city

I was referring to $100,000+ or 100k and up is upper middle class. Until you have an income of $200,000 and up AND a million dollars and more in assests are you in the upper class.

Right, I figured such, but that has little correlation with reality in California. Household incomes in the $100k range are common for the middle-class in California.

Originally Posted by the city

I don't think Simi Valley's working class is that big.

Simi Valley is mostly working-class though not as much as Oxnard.

Anyhow, income is only a proxy for social class but the income limits you are using make little sense for California.

[the city]

Originally Posted by user_id

Right, I figured such, but that has little correlation with reality in California. Household incomes in the $100k range are common for the middle-class in California.


Simi Valley is mostly working-class though not as much as Oxnard.

Anyhow, income is only a proxy for social class but the income limits you are using make little sense for California.

I still think Simi Valley is mostly middle class with incomes of $50,000+

Simi might have a larger working class than Camarillo and Thousand Oaks, but not to say the whole city is mostly that.

All 3 schools in Simi Valley are good and it's easy for people to have high paying jobs in LA and live in Simi Valley. Royal High also outranks Thousands Oaks High.

Ventura, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, and Moorpark are all primarily middle class communities in my eyes. Some may have a lil more working class or a lil more upper middle class than others.

Oxnard is prob half middle and the other half working class.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by the city

Simi might have a larger working class than Camarillo and Thousand Oaks, but not to say the whole city is mostly that.

The majority of Simi Valley is working-class, there are only a handful of middle-class communities in Simi....the most obvious of which is wood ranch.

Originally Posted by the city

it's easy for people to have high paying jobs in LA and work in Simi Valley.

Not really. Though Simi Valley is neighboring Los Angeles, its not neighboring the areas that have high paying jobs. The commutes from Simi Valley to the large job centers in LA is pretty bad. Additionally, Simi Valley has few sources of "high paying jobs" locally which tells you a lot about the city....

Anyhow, the cities you are trying to group together are all pretty different. Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley are rather different socioeconomically, for example around 65% more people in Thousand Oaks have bachelors or more than in Simi Valley. That is hardly a small difference. And though Camarillo, Simi Valley and Ventura are similar socioeconomically I'd really hate to group the last with the first two, its just a different animal.

Far more than 50% of Oxnard is working-class, only 15% of Oxnard even has bachelors degrees.

[the city]

Originally Posted by user_id

The majority of Simi Valley is working-class, there are only a handful of middle-class communities in Simi....the most obvious of which is wood ranch.


Not really. Though Simi Valley is neighboring Los Angeles, its not neighboring the areas that have high paying jobs. The commutes from Simi Valley to the large job centers in LA is pretty bad. Additionally, Simi Valley has few sources of "high paying jobs" locally which tells you a lot about the city....

Anyhow, the cities you are trying to group together are all pretty different. Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley are rather different socioeconomically, for example around 65% more people in Thousand Oaks have bachelors or more than in Simi Valley. That is hardly a small difference. And though Camarillo, Simi Valley and Ventura are similar socioeconomically I'd really hate to group the last with the first two, its just a different animal.

Far more than 50% of Oxnard is working-class, only 15% of Oxnard even has bachelors degrees.

Well Simi Valley is still a nice to place live and the schools are still great. Simi does have a lot of big box centers like Oxnard, but crime is also way lower in Simi Valley.

Eh, anywhere you all are lucky to live in Ventura County. I feel like I live in a deserted wasteland with a college community in the middle of it, and then after it is nothing again....

And I am going to that college in Fall....eh, if only I had a calling to go to another college....