Places › California › Oxnard

Living in Oxnard, CA

Mid-size city in California

Oxnard is a mid-size city in California, home to about 201,000 people, with 866,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Oxnard a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Mild summers: highs around 72°F
  • Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Strong healthcare: 3 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Fewer graduates: 20% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $728k, and rent is $3,650 a month
  • Few dog parks: 6 within 9 mi
  • Higher taxes: about $3,279 state income tax per resident, 0.68% property tax

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Oxnard ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
201,000
866,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
66°F / 72°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$728k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$3,650/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
111
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.68% property tax
Safety
0.9× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
10 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
3
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
20%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
BUR
48 mi away

Living in Oxnard: common questions

What is the cost of living in Oxnard?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $728k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,650 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 111, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Oxnard?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.68% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Oxnard safe?

Violent crime is close to the national rate (0.9× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Oxnard?

Oxnard is warm all year: winter days average around 66°F and summer days around 72°F.

Does Oxnard get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.98 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Oxnard?

The nearest major airport is BUR, about 48 mi away.

How Oxnard scores

Each bar compares Oxnard with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Mid-size Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Urban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Some transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Nature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Warm all year Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Moderate pace Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Some community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Poor
💸Low taxes Below average
💼Job market Average
🏥Healthcare Good
🎓Education Poor
🧸Kids & family Average
🐕Dog-friendly Below average
⛰️Outdoors Excellent
🎭Culture Average
🛡️Safety Safe
🌪️Few natural disasters Average
☀️Sunny Excellent
🌤️Mild summers Excellent
✈️Airport Good

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Is Oxnard right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.