LIVING IN OXNARD
More than 202,000 people call Oxnard, California home. If you will soon be moving to Oxnard, you may be wondering what living here is like.
In this guide, we will discuss cost of living, employment opportunities, education, transit, weather and more for Oxnard. That way, you can visualize what it is like to live and work in this city.
What is the Cost of Living in Oxnard?
To find out about the cost of living in Oxnard, we can turn to data provided by Sperling’s Best Places
This website uses a cost of living index with 100 as the US average. Values that are higher than 100 represent a higher than average cost of living. Those that are below 100 represent a lower cost of living than average.
According to that scale, the cost of living in Oxnard is rated at 138.5. While that is higher than the US average, it is actually significantly lower than the California cost of living, which is rated at 149.9.
So, if you want to live in California, you can actually save quite a bit of money by making Oxnard your home instead of some of the more expensive locations nearby.
In fact, to offer a comparison, on the same index, Sperling’s gives Los Angeles a rating of 173.3.
What is the Cost of Housing in Oxnard?
Cost of living for most expenses in Oxnard is actually only marginally higher then it is across the country on average. Most of the difference comes in with housing, which is not unusual on the West Coast.
On the same scale where the US average is rated at 100, housing in Oxnard is rated at 217.6. Housing for California as a whole is rated at 239.1.
The median cost of a home in Oxnard is $634,900. That is much lower than the median cost of a home in California, which is $684,800.
So, you can find some beautiful homes for sale in this area at excellent prices.
Employment Opportunities in Oxnard
Let’s take a look at what the US Census says about earnings in Oxnard.
The Census reports that the median household income in Oxnard from 2015 through 2019 was $72,843. That is higher than the $68,703 median household income for the country.
There are many employment opportunities in Oxnard, as quite a few industries are prominent here. Some of these include manufacturing, agriculture, defense, and trade.
Top employers in Oxnard include the Oxnard School District, Reiter, the City of Oxnard, CommonSpirit Health, Procter & Gamble, St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Haas Automation, the Oxnard Union High School District, Spatz Laboratories, and Raypack.
Oxnard Education
There are 59 schools throughout Oxnard. These include 49 public schools and 10 private schools. For higher education, options include Oxnard College, California State University Channel Islands, Northridge, California Lutheran University, California State University, University of Phoenix, Santa Barbara National University, University of California, and Azusa Pacific University.
Crime in Oxnard
Sperling’s rates crime on a scale where 1 equals low crime and 100 equals high crime. On that scale, the US average for violent crime is 22.7. The violent crime rating for Oxnard is just 19. So, violent crime is lower in Oxnard than it is across the country on average.
Getting Around Oxnard
If you want to drive to nearby Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, you can travel on highway 101. If you want to travel to Malibu, you can take the Pacific Coast Highway.
For public transportation, options include the Metrolink Ventura County Line, Amtrak, the Gold Coast Transit District bus system, and the VCTC Intercity bus system. So, it is easy not only to get around Oxnard itself, but also the surrounding region.
You probably know how bad traffic can be in Los Angeles, so you might be concerned about commute times in Oxnard.
But you will be pleasantly surprised. On average, it takes 25.7 minutes to commute one-way in Oxnard. That is slightly less than the 26.4-minute US average.
Most people living in Oxnard do drive to work rather than use public transportation. Sperling’s reported that only 1.1% of the working population take mass transportation. 75.8% drive to work by themselves, while 17.7% carpool. 2.8% work from home.
Since the pandemic started, it is likely that the work from home percentage has risen.
How is the Weather in Oxnard?
For many people moving to Southern California, one of the big attractions is the climate. In Oxnard, the climate is particularly temperate. There is no snow, and the weather is sunny. But the location along the shoreline brings in coastal breezes that help to regulate the temperature.
On average, the area receives 15 annual inches of rain. The average number of sunny days each year is 276. That is quite a few more days than the US average of 205.
Sperling’s reports that winter lows dip down to around 46 degrees Fahrenheit, while summer highs climb to about 73 degrees Fahrenheit.
Other parts of Southern California become very hot during the summer. So, you get the best aspects of SoCal’s sunny climate in Oxnard, minus those unwanted blazing days.
In fact, Sperling’s has a comfort index to rank weather for different locations as well. It is a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 represents the most ideal possible weather. The US average on that scale is a 7.
On that scale, Oxnard receives a rating of 8.5 during winter, and 9.8 during summer. In other words, this is just about as good as it gets. You will be hard-pressed to find other locations in California or anywhere in the country that are this temperate and enjoyable.
Leisure and Entertainment in Oxnard
One of the best things about living in Oxnard is that the things to see and do are practically endless.
What with the coastal location, this is a fine place to live if you enjoy water-based activities. A great place to start is Mandalay State Beach. Those interested in nautical history and art will also want to drop by the Channel Islands Maritime Museum.
Other fun area attractions include the Marine Emporium Landing, Oxnard Historic Farm Park, Carnegie Art Museum, and the Murphy Auto Museum.
Naturally, there are even more amazing attractions in nearby Malibu, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
If you are a sports fan, you can follow professional teams in Los Angeles such as the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Dodgers, Rams, and Angels.
Move Into Your Oxnard Dream Home
Gorgeous weather, fun attractions, an exciting job market, and stunning real estate are all calling to you in Oxnard.
If you are ready to move into an Oxnard home with a flexible mortgage, please give us a call today at (805) 402-5302 to schedule your consultation.
We also work with homebuyers and homeowners in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and throughout California.
