Santa Paula vs Thousand Oaks
Santa Paula, California versus Thousand Oaks, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Santa Paula and Thousand Oaks score about the same overall (46 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Santa Paula | Thousand Oaks |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $72k | $125k |
| Cost of Living | $74k | $74k |
| Home Value | $520k | $901k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.64% | 0.69% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.82% | 21.21% |
| Unemployment | 6.5% | 4.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 56°F | 56°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.1 in | 16.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 292 days | 292 days |
| Summer Humidity | 58°F | 58°F |
| Comfortable Days | 304 days | 304 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 95.0 | 81.3 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 45 AQI |
| School Quality | 71.8 | 52.9 |
| Violent Crime | 940/100k | 479/100k |
| Property Crime | 1105/100k | 1106/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 30,788 | 126,532 |
| Median Age | 34.6 | 44.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.48 | 0.45 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+22 | D+22 |
| White (%) | 14.8% | 64.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.6% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 81.7% | 19.7% |
| Asian (%) | 1.0% | 9.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.9% | 5.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 11.0/20 | 13.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 47 mi | 32 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.5% | 92.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 16.56 | 24.10 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Paula or Thousand Oaks more affordable?
- Thousand Oaks has the lower cost of living: its index is $74k, compared with Santa Paula's $74k and Thousand Oaks's $74k. Median rent is $2k in Santa Paula versus $2k in Thousand Oaks.
- Is Santa Paula or Thousand Oaks safer?
- Thousand Oaks has the lower violent crime rate. Santa Paula reports 940/100k and Thousand Oaks reports 479/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Santa Paula or Thousand Oaks?
- The median home value is $520k in Santa Paula and $901k in Thousand Oaks, so homes are more affordable in Santa Paula.