How expensive is Ventura?
Ventura is expensive by national standards and mid-priced for the California coast. Zillow's typical home value of $885,887 in September 2026 sits between Oxnard ($758,052) and Thousand Oaks ($1,027,863), and roughly half of Santa Barbara's $1,805,649. Rents are closer together across the county: Zillow's typical Ventura rent of $2,898 is almost the same as Oxnard's $2,894 and Camarillo's $2,911.
Incomes are high too. Census data (ACS 2020-2024) put Ventura's median household income at $103,069, close to the county's $109,797. But the city's typical rent equals $34,776 a year, which is 34% of that median income, above the 30% guideline lenders and landlords often use. Owners who bought years ago pay much less: the Census median owner cost with a mortgage is $2,882 a month, and $777 without one, because Prop 13 keeps long-held assessments low.
Housing costs in Ventura
Buying a home in Ventura
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 value of $885,887 pays about $4,830 a month in principal and interest. Prices vary by ZIP: Zillow's typical value is $858,245 in 93004, $887,682 in 93003 and $968,619 in 93001. Condos cost less; Redfin's condo median in 93003 was $483,986 over the three months to September 2026. See our Ventura condo guide.
Renting in Ventura
Zillow's observed rent for Ventura was $2,898 in September 2026, up 3.4% in a year and 22.4% in five years. The Census median gross rent, which averages all existing leases including long-held ones, is lower at $2,198. A new tenant should budget from the Zillow figure. ZIP 93001 has the highest share of renters: the Census owner share there is 44.8%, against 58.5% in 93003 and 66.3% in 93004.
Property tax in Ventura
The Ventura County Auditor-Controller's 2025-26 rate book lists most Ventura tax rate areas at 1.088000%, and others at 1.092029% because they add 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, or $797 a month. Your bill can include direct charges on top. See our Ventura County property tax guide.
Home insurance, HOA dues and special taxes
Insurance depends heavily on the parcel. Hillside streets, which the 2017 Thomas Fire reached, can be harder and more costly to insure than flat east-side tracts. Get two quotes before you make an offer, and read our homeowners insurance guide and FAIR Plan guide. Condos add HOA dues: two 2026 sales on East Harbor Boulevard carried $500 and $520 a month. Newer tracts can carry special taxes; see our Mello-Roos guide.
Everyday costs in Ventura
MIT's living wage calculator gives yearly costs for Ventura County households. These are the figures for one adult with no children, unless noted.
| Cost (MIT, Ventura County) | 1 adult | 1 adult, 1 child | 2 working adults, 2 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $24,099 | $32,482 | $32,482 |
| Food | $4,627 | $6,787 | $13,541 |
| Child care | $0 | $16,242 | $34,118 |
| Medical | $3,464 | $10,903 | $12,170 |
| Transportation | $10,535 | $12,192 | $17,671 |
| Internet and mobile | $1,545 | $1,545 | $2,168 |
| Other | $4,992 | $9,077 | $10,804 |
Water and sewer bills in Ventura
The City of Ventura runs its own water and wastewater utility, Ventura Water, drawing on Lake Casitas, the Ventura River and groundwater. Spectrum News reported in November 2025 that a typical single-family home paid about $118 a month for water and wastewater combined, and that the city proposed increases of more than 10% a year starting July 2026, to about $137 a month by 2027 and $219 by 2031. Check the current rate schedule with Ventura Water, and ask a seller for a year of utility bills.
Electricity, gas and internet
Ask the seller or landlord for 12 months of electric and gas bills, since use varies widely between a coastal condo that rarely needs air conditioning and an inland east-side house. MIT budgets $1,545 a year for internet and a phone for one adult. Check which providers serve the address on the FCC National Broadband Map.
Groceries and food
MIT puts food at $4,627 a year for one adult and $13,541 for two adults with two children, or about $386 and $1,128 a month.
Getting around Ventura
MIT's transportation budget of $10,535 a year for one adult assumes a car. Ventura has several transit options: Gold Coast Transit runs local buses, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner stops downtown, and the Metrolink Ventura County Line to Los Angeles Union Station starts at the Ventura-East station in Montalvo. Highway 101 is the main road link to Oxnard, Thousand Oaks and Santa Barbara.
Healthcare and child care
MIT's medical figure for one adult is $3,464 a year, rising to $10,903 for one adult with a child. Child care is the largest single cost for working parents: $16,242 a year for one child and $34,118 for two. Community Memorial Health System and Kaiser Permanente were both among the city's ten largest employers in its 2020 annual financial report.
Taxes in Ventura
Sales tax in Ventura: 7.75%
The CDTFA lists Ventura's combined sales tax rate at 7.75% from October 1, 2026, half a point above the 7.25% base in unincorporated Ventura County, Camarillo and Thousand Oaks, and well below Oxnard's 9.25%. On $10,000 of taxable spending a year, that half point costs $50.
Property tax and the homeowners' exemption
Ventura's 1.088000% common rate is lower than Oxnard's most common 1.231815% in the same rate book series, but higher than Thousand Oaks' 1.048000%. Owners who live in the home can claim the $7,000 homeowners' exemption once with the county assessor, which saves about $76 a year at Ventura's rate. Long-time owners moving within California should read our Prop 19 guide.
Transfer tax and state income tax
Ventura County charges a documentary transfer tax when a home sells; who pays is negotiable. See our California transfer tax guide. State income tax applies on top. MIT estimates annual taxes of $12,189 for a single adult earning the living wage. Our California cost of living guide covers state taxes.
Salary needed to live in Ventura
| Household (MIT, Ventura County) | Hourly living wage | Yearly income before tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult, no children | $31.41 | $65,328 |
| 1 adult, 1 child | $55.75 | $115,961 |
| 1 adult, 2 children | $75.54 | $157,127 |
| 2 adults (1 working), no children | $41.19 | $85,668 |
| 2 adults (both working), 2 children | $38.75 each | $161,195 |
MIT's housing budget for one adult, $24,099 a year or about $2,008 a month, is below Zillow's typical Ventura rent and far below the cost of buying. To buy Zillow's typical Ventura home with 20% down at a 7.24% rate, principal, interest and property tax alone come to about $5,627 a month. Keeping housing at 30% of gross income would take about $225,000 a year, more than double the city's median household income. The minimum wage MIT uses for California is $16.90 an hour.
Ventura cost of living vs nearby cities
| City | Zillow typical home value | Zillow typical rent | Census median household income | Sales tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ventura | $885,887 | $2,898 | $103,069 | 7.75% |
| Oxnard | $758,052 | $2,894 | $96,212 | 9.25% |
| Camarillo | $910,985 | $2,911 | $113,428 | 7.25% |
| Thousand Oaks | $1,027,863 | $3,357 | $135,603 | 7.25% |
| Santa Barbara | $1,805,649 | $3,642 | $106,182 | 9.25% |
Zillow figures are for September 2026; incomes are ACS 2020-2024; sales tax rates are CDTFA's from October 1, 2026. Oxnard is the cheaper place to buy in the county's west end, though it has a higher sales tax and a higher common property tax rate. Camarillo costs slightly more to buy than Ventura with the same rents. Santa Barbara, up the coast in the next county, costs about twice as much to buy.
Ways to lower your costs in Ventura
- Look east for price. Zillow's Saticoy ($802,122), Montalvo ($786,252) and Avenue-area values are below the city figure, and 93003 condos had a $483,986 median.
- Compare rate areas. Ventura rate areas without the Casitas water bond are slightly cheaper; check the rate area on the last bill.
- File the homeowners' exemption as soon as you move in.
- Shop insurance early, especially for hillside homes, and compare quotes with and without earthquake cover.
- Use the train. Metrolink and Amtrak can replace some long car trips and parking costs.
- Check water use. With rate rises planned, drought-tolerant landscaping and efficient fixtures cut a growing bill.
For homes and prices across the city, see our Ventura homes for sale guide and the Ventura housing market report.