What a local Ventura agent helps you decide
Ventura, the Ventura County seat officially named San Buenaventura, covers about 21.9 square miles of land between the Ventura River and the Santa Clara River, with 110,763 residents at the 2020 census. It has three main residential ZIP codes: 93001 on the west side, downtown and the harbor, 93003 through midtown and the east side, and 93004 at the far east end toward Saticoy. Zillow's typical values for September 2026 are close together at the ZIP level, from $858,245 in 93004 to $968,619 in 93001, but they spread out sharply by neighborhood.
A local agent's job is to place one home inside that spread. That comes down to three questions. Which part of town: the beach side around Pierpont and the Ventura Keys, the older grid of downtown and midtown, the hillside streets above them, or the tract neighborhoods of east Ventura. Which home type: Census data (ACS 2020-2024) show 53.9% of the city's homes are detached houses, 11.0% are attached townhomes, 29.8% are in buildings of two or more units and 5.1% are mobile homes. And what a fair price is in a market that runs differently on each side of town. In 93004, Redfin reports that 48.9% of homes sold above list price in the three months to September 2026; in 93001, only 17.6% did.
Buying a home in Ventura
Redfin has no citywide figure for Ventura, so this guide uses its three ZIP codes. Over the three months to September 2026, Redfin's median sale price was $1,234,637 in 93001, $859,747 in 93003 and $861,747 in 93004, with 220 sales across the three. Zillow's typical value is a different measure that covers all homes, not only those that sold, so the two never match exactly. Here is how a purchase usually runs.
Step 1 for Ventura buyers: set a budget at today's rate
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), a buyer who puts 20% down ($177,177) on Zillow's typical Ventura value of $885,887 pays about $4,830 a month in principal and interest. Property tax in the most common Ventura rate area adds about $797 a month (see the local checks below). Insurance and any HOA dues come on top. Get a lender pre-approval before you tour.
Step 2 for Ventura buyers: choose the ZIP and the home type
Detached houses carry most of the price. Redfin's single-family median ran from $864,782 in 93004 to $972,755 in 93003 and $1,698,572 in 93001 over the three months to September 2026. The west-side figure jumped 37% in a year on 45 sales, so read it as a sign of which homes sold, not a 37% rise in every house. Condos are the lower-priced route, with a median of $483,986 in 93003. Our Ventura ZIP code guide and Ventura condo guide break this down.
Step 3 for Ventura buyers: write the offer from local comparables
Speed differs by side of town. Redfin's median days on market was 39 in 93004 and 40 in 93003, but 70 in 93001, where homes sold at 97.9% of list on average. In 93004, the average sale closed at 100.9% of list. Ask your agent for sales from the same tract or street in the last 90 days, not a ZIP average.
Step 4 for Ventura buyers: use the contingency period
California purchase contracts give you time to inspect, review the seller's disclosures and confirm the loan and insurance. In Ventura that means checking the roof and sewer line on the many homes built before 1980 (the Census median year built is 1973), reading the HOA documents for a condo, and getting insurance quotes early on hillside streets. Our guide to buying a house in California covers the full timeline.
Selling a home in Ventura
Sellers are listing into a market with short supply on the east side and more choice on the west side. Redfin counted 2.4 months of supply in 93003 and 2.8 in 93004, against 3.6 in 93001, over the three months to September 2026. Across the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura metro, Zillow reports that 29.0% of listings had a price cut in September 2026.
Step 1 for Ventura sellers: price against your own ZIP
Price per square foot separates the west side from the rest of town: Redfin's median was $728 in 93001 against $528 in 93003 and $523 in 93004. Distance to the beach, ocean views from the hillside and lot size move the number within each ZIP. Ask for a comparative market analysis built from your own neighborhood and home type.
Step 2 for Ventura sellers: order disclosures before listing
California sellers give buyers a Transfer Disclosure Statement and a Natural Hazard Disclosure. In Ventura the hazard report often raises wildfire zones on the hillside streets, which the 2017 Thomas Fire reached, and flood zones near the Ventura and Santa Clara rivers and the harbor. Order the report before you list so you can answer early questions. See our California seller disclosure guide.
Step 3 for Ventura sellers: work out your net proceeds
From the sale price, subtract the loan payoff, the commissions you agree to, escrow and title fees, the county documentary transfer tax, any repair credits and prorated property tax. Our California closing costs guide and transfer tax guide list each line. Long-time owners selling a home they lived in should also read the capital gains guide.
Ventura areas at a glance
These are Zillow's typical values for September 2026 in its Ventura neighborhood areas. Our Ventura neighborhoods guide profiles each one.
Marina and Pierpont: Ventura's beach side
Zillow's Marina area, which takes in the streets around the Ventura Keys and the harbor, is the city's highest-value area at $1,629,330, up 4.7% in a year. Homes here range from beach cottages to waterfront houses on the Keys channels, with condos along Harbor Boulevard. Ventura Harbor, a short drive south, is the headquarters of Channel Islands National Park.
Downtown and Midtown Ventura
Downtown, at $1,028,796, and Midtown, at $1,016,464, cover the older grid around Main Street, Mission San Buenaventura and the hillside streets above. Expect early 1900s bungalows, mid-century houses and small condo buildings. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner stops downtown next to the fairgrounds.
Poinsettia and Ventura College
Poinsettia, at $1,289,556, and the Ventura College area, at $957,173, sit on the hills and slopes east of midtown, with larger lots and view homes on some streets. Check the fire hazard zone on any hillside parcel.
East Ventura: Juanamaria, Wells and Serra
The east side is mostly 1960s to 1980s tracts. Zillow puts Juanamaria at $929,368, Wells at $888,861 and Serra at $854,725, all within 1% to 2% of a year earlier.
Saticoy and Montalvo
At the east end, Saticoy ($802,122) and Montalvo ($786,252) are among the lower-priced areas. The Ventura-East Metrolink station in Montalvo is the western end of the Ventura County Line to Los Angeles Union Station.
The Avenue, North Avenue and Thille
The Ventura Avenue corridor runs north up the Ventura River valley. Zillow puts The Avenue at $749,919 and North Avenue at $715,051. Thille, at $534,172, is the lowest-value Zillow area in the city and fell 0.8% in a year.
Local property checks in Ventura
- Property tax rate area. The county's 2025-26 rate book lists most Ventura tax rate areas at 1.088000% or 1.092029%. Both include Ventura Unified bonds (0.014900% and 0.059200% for Measure E) and a Ventura County Community College bond; the higher rate adds a Casitas Municipal Water District bond. On a $885,887 purchase at 1.088000%, less the $7,000 homeowners' exemption, the yearly bill is about $9,562. Check your parcel's rate area on the last bill. Our Ventura County property tax guide shows the full calculation.
- Wildfire zone and insurance. Look up the CAL FIRE hazard zone for hillside parcels and get two insurance quotes before removing contingencies. See our California wildfire zones guide, homeowners insurance guide and FAIR Plan guide.
- Flood zone. Search the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, especially near the harbor, the Keys and the two river mouths.
- HOA dues and special taxes. Many condo and townhome complexes charge monthly dues, and newer tracts can carry special taxes. Ask for the HOA budget, reserve study and any special assessments. Read our California HOA laws guide and Mello-Roos guide.
- Earthquake cover. Standard policies exclude earthquake damage. See the earthquake insurance guide.
- Schools. Ventura Unified serves the city. Use the district's school locator to check an address, and see our Ventura schools guide.
How to choose a real estate agent in Ventura
Interview at least two agents and ask each the same questions. Check every license on the California Department of Real Estate's public lookup before you sign.
- How many Ventura homes have you sold or bought in the last 12 months, and on which side of town?
- How did those homes sell against list price, and how many days did they take?
- Which three recent sales support your price for this home?
- Have you handled hillside sales with wildfire insurance questions, or condo sales with HOA reserve issues?
- Who handles showings, negotiation and escrow follow-up?
Commission rules changed in August 2024 after the National Association of Realtors settlement. Buyers now sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and it states what the agent is paid. Offers of buyer-agent pay no longer appear on the MLS, so the fee is negotiated directly. Our California real estate commission guide explains the details.
For a starting point, see our featured local agent for Ventura. How we choose featured agents explains the checks.
What buyers and sellers ask about Ventura real estate
Are prices dropping? Not much. Zillow's typical value rose 1.4% in a year to September 2026 and is 17.2% higher than five years earlier, though still just under its 2024 peak. Who owns their home? Census data (ACS 2020-2024) put the citywide owner share at 55.9%, with a median household income of $103,069. Why do people leave? The cost is the main pressure: MIT estimates a single adult in Ventura County needs $65,328 a year before tax to cover basic costs. For costs beyond the mortgage, read our Ventura cost of living guide, and for the trend see the Ventura housing market report or the Ventura County market data. ZIP pages: 93001, 93003 and 93004.