---
title: "2026 Best Places to Live in Ventura County, CA"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/c73dac7b-458e-4d4b-9718-bc311515c718
source_url: "https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/search/best-places-to-live/c/ventura-county-ca/"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/places/stack/36531fd6-3163-4267-8753-c34e205ce74d
summary: "Niche's 2026 ranking of the best places to live in Ventura County evaluates 23 communities based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities using data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, and CDC. Top-ranked places include Casa Conejo, Thousand Oaks, and Oak Park, all earning an overall Niche Grade of A with A+ rated public schools."
tags: "ventura-county, best-places-to-live, california, community-rankings, public-schools, cost-of-living, suburbs"
key_entities: "Ventura County (location), Casa Conejo (location), Thousand Oaks (location), Oak Park (location), Newbury Park (location), Los Angeles (location), Niche (organization), U.S. Census (organization), FBI (organization), BLS (organization), CDC (organization), community ranking (concept)"
classification: "reference"
content_hash: "sha256:015ae9e35396086a5e0297d20357b2221de0c466b2b3b519061b13c59b729020"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 4804
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# 2026 Best Places to Live in Ventura County, CA

2026 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Explore the best places to live in the U.S. based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated. Where Niche Grades come from and how Niche calculates rankings . 2026 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Explore the best places to live in the U.S. based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated. Where Niche Grades come from and how Niche calculates rankings . View on Map Cancel Apply View on Map Filter 1-23 of 23 results #1 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Casa Conejo Suburb of Los Angeles, CA Rating 4.11 out of 5 9 reviews reviews Niche User: Newbury Park is one of the safest places in the country and has very little crime. Police can be seen every so often driving or parked, but are mostly seen going to accident scenes and every so often pulling someone over. ... Read 9 reviews grade  A Overall Niche Grade grade  A+ Public Schools Population 2,671 Casa Conejo #1 Best Places to Live in Ventura County. Suburb of Los Angeles, CA. 9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars. Featured Review: Niche User says Newbury Park is one of the safest places in the country and has very little crime. Police can be seen every so often driving or parked, but are mostly seen going to accident scenes and every so often... Read 9 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: A, Population: 2,671, View nearby homes Add to List #2 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Thousand Oaks City in California Rating 4.19 out of 5 403 reviews reviews Current Resident: Thousand Oaks is a wonderful place to visit and spend time. The community has a relaxed, welcoming feel while still offering plenty of great restaurants, coffee shops, outdoor spaces, and things to explore. I especially enjoyed the beautiful scenery, peaceful neighborhoods, and easy access to trails and nearby destinations. It feels like a place where you can slow down, enjoy a good meal, catch a sunset, or simply spend quality time with family. The combination of natural beauty, friendly people, and laid-back California atmosphere makes Thousand Oaks easy to appreciate. It’s a place I would happily return to again. ... Read 403 reviews grade  A Overall Niche Grade grade  A+ Public Schools Population 125,205 Thousand Oaks #2 Best Places to Live in Ventura County. City in California. 403 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says Thousand Oaks is a wonderful place to visit and spend time. The community has a relaxed, welcoming feel while still offering plenty of great restaurants, coffee shops, outdoor spaces, and things to... Read 403 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: A, Population: 125,205, View nearby homes Add to List #3 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Oak Park Suburb of Los Angeles, CA Rating 4.16 out of 5 69 reviews reviews Nearby Resident: Oak Park is a very nice neighborhood with well kept streets, houses and schools. I believe there should be a greater effort by schools to increase student diversity. ... Read 69 reviews grade  A Overall Niche Grade grade  A+ Public Schools Population 13,757 Oak Park #3 Best Places to Live in Ventura County. Suburb of Los Angeles, CA. 69 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars. Featured Review: Nearby Resident says Oak Park is a very nice neighborhood with well kept streets, houses and schools. I believe there should be a greater effort by schools to increase student diversity. Read 69 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: A, Population: 13,757, View nearby homes Add to List K-12 Scholarship $10,000 Back to School Giveaway Parents — win up to $10,000 to help cover supplies, uniforms, and extracurriculars this school year. No essay required. Apply now #4 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Moorpark Suburb of Los Angeles, CA Rating 3.92 out of 5 161 reviews reviews Current Resident: Moorpark has been a great place to grow up. It is a small town where most people know each other. There is only one high school, the school loves it sports teams, and the overall feel is that of a close community. ... Read 161 reviews grade  B+ Overall Niche Grade grade  A Public Schools Population 35,854 Moorpark #4 Best Places to Live in Ventura County. Suburb of Los Angeles, CA. 161 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says Moorpark has been a great place to grow up. It is a small town where most people know each other. There is only one high school, the school loves it sports teams, and the overall feel is that of a... Read 161 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B+, Population: 35,854, View nearby homes Add to List #5 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Ventura City in California Rating 4.23 out of 5 211 reviews reviews Current Resident: I have loved living in Ventura. Everything you need is super close by and I haven’t had any problems with safety. I’ve lived here for about 3 years now ... Read 211 reviews grade  B+ Overall Niche Grade grade  B+ Public Schools Population 109,857 Ventura #5 Best Places to Live in Ventura County. City in California. 211 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says I have loved living in Ventura. Everything you need is super close by and I haven’t had any problems with safety. I’ve lived here for about 3 years now Read 211 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B+, Population: 109,857, View nearby homes Add to List #6 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Ojai Former Resident: Ojai is an extremely safe and family oriented area. The public schools recently got over a million dollars embezzled and so the quality of education has gone down significantly. The rating of schools is probably closer to a C- or D now. I went to Ojai public schools from Kindergarten through my sophomore year and it was amazing. I recently had the experience to work for the school district. Me and my fellow coworkers had nightmares and trauma from how poorly students are treated. Education is NOT prioritized. DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS HERE! If you are moving to Ojai PLEASE send your kids to private school if you want them to succeed in reading and writing comprehension and math. Other than the schools and lack of rentals/houses less than a million dollars, Ojai is great. Healthy restaurants, good hiking trails, stores, and job opportunities in nearby Ventura. ... Read 21 reviews grade  B+ Overall Niche Grade grade  B+ Public Schools Population 7,577 Ojai #6 Best Places to Live in Ventura County. 21 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars. Featured Review: Former Resident says Ojai is an extremely safe and family oriented area. The public schools recently got over a million dollars embezzled and so the quality of education has gone down significantly. The rating of schools... Read 21 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B+, Population: 7,577, View nearby homes Add to List #7 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Camarillo Town in California Rating 4.1 out of 5 282 reviews reviews Current Resident: Growing up in Camarillo has been a true blessing. My family moved here from the busy LA area because they wanted me to have a better education and a safer environment. I have fallen in love with the peaceful neighborhoods, the supportive community, and the cool weather. This city has shaped who I am. If I could see one change, it would be the addition of more entertainment and recreational activities for teenagers and young adults. Currently, my friends and I often have to drive to Oxnard or past Thousand Oaks just to find fun weekend activities or spots to hang out. Bringing more local entertainment spaces, youth events, or community hubs directly to Camarillo would keep our youth connected. It would make our already amazing town an even more vibrant place to grow. ... Read 282 reviews grade  B+ Overall Niche Grade grade  B Public Schools Population 70,186 Camarillo #7 Best Places to Live in Ventura County. Town in California. 282 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says Growing up in Camarillo has been a true blessing. My family moved here from the busy LA area because they wanted me to have a better education and a safer environment. I have fallen in love with the... Read 282 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B+, Population: 70,186, View nearby homes Add to List #8 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Simi Valley Suburb of Los Angeles, CA Rating 3.83 out of 5 428 reviews reviews Current Resident: Simi Valley has a lot to do. There are very good restaurants that span many cultures. If you like sushi, there are a lot of good sushi spots! ... Read 428 reviews grade  B+ Overall Niche Grade grade  A Public Schools Population 125,634 Simi Valley #8 Best Places to Live in Ventura County. Suburb of Los Angeles, CA. 428 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says Simi Valley has a lot to do. There are very good restaurants that span many cultures. If you like sushi, there are a lot of good sushi spots! Read 428 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B+, Population: 125,634, View nearby homes Add to List #9 Best Places to Live in Ventura County Channel Islands Beach Suburb of Oxnard, CA grade  B+ Overall Niche Grade grade  B minus Public Schools Population 2,726 Channel Islands Beach #9 Best Places to Live in Ventura County. Suburb of Oxnard, CA. Overall Niche Grade: B+, Population: 2,726, View nearby homes Add to List 2026 Places with the Best Public Schools in Ventura County Sponsored Explore Homes in the Area 2026 Most Diverse Places to Live in Ventura County Mira Monte Parent: Ojai is an excellent place to raise a family. The schools are very good. Everyone knows and looks out for your children. Lots of activities for young children, and quiet for teenagers, almost like a bubble. The down side is that it is expensive. ... Read 2 reviews grade  B minus Overall Niche Grade grade  B+ Public Schools Population 6,888 Mira Monte 2 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Parent says Ojai is an excellent place to raise a family. The schools are very good. Everyone knows and looks out for your children. Lots of activities for young children, and quiet for teenagers, almost like a... Read 2 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B minus, Population: 6,888, View nearby homes Add to List Meiners Oaks grade  B minus Overall Niche Grade grade  B+ Public Schools Population 3,934 Meiners Oaks 2 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Read 2 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B minus, Population: 3,934, View nearby homes Add to List Oak View Current Resident: Overall, a very nice community. Backs up to hills that are golden in the summer and bright green in the spring. Lake Casitas is beautiful, especially during the sunrise. The weather is perfect for vineyards, and I have a view of some from my house. The weather can be hot at times, but Oak View's proximity to Carpinteria/Santa Barbara and Ventura gives you a lot of access to the beach, without the expense of living by it. The people are very nice and laid back, and its a quiet, sleepy little town that isn't too expensive to live in. Great place to raise kids, as there is little crime here. ... Read 1 review grade  B minus Overall Niche Grade grade  A minus Public Schools Population 6,141 Oak View 1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says Overall, a very nice community. Backs up to hills that are golden in the summer and bright green in the spring. Lake Casitas is beautiful, especially during the sunrise. The weather is perfect for... Read 1 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: B minus, Population: 6,141, View nearby homes Add to List Port Hueneme Suburb of Oxnard, CA Rating 3.8 out of 5 59 reviews reviews Current Resident: I enjoy that the environment in Port Hueneme is very peaceful. Everyone is very friendly with each other. I wouldn't like to see anything change. ... Read 59 reviews grade  C+ Overall Niche Grade grade  C Public Schools Population 21,582 Port Hueneme Suburb of Oxnard, CA. 59 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says I enjoy that the environment in Port Hueneme is very peaceful. Everyone is very friendly with each other. I wouldn't like to see anything change. Read 59 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: C+, Population: 21,582, View nearby homes Add to List Saticoy Suburb of Oxnard, CA Rating 3 out of 5 2 reviews reviews Current Resident: All the people are close, and friendly. The weather is great, and the shop in town are good like Yetos, and 3 Amigos, and the food like B&J's drive in corn burrito's are delicious. ... Read 2 reviews grade  C+ Overall Niche Grade grade  B+ Public Schools Population 1,518 Saticoy Suburb of Oxnard, CA. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 3 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says All the people are close, and friendly. The weather is great, and the shop in town are good like Yetos, and 3 Amigos, and the food like B&J's drive in corn burrito's are delicious. Read 2 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: C+, Population: 1,518, View nearby homes Add to List Oxnard City in California Rating 3.77 out of 5 643 reviews reviews Current Resident: I feel like Oxnard is one of the best cities to live in if you'd like to try somewhere new from out of neighborhoods from out of Los Angeles or Santa Barbara. One of the main issues with the city is that trash can be encountered in every part, or the failure to maintain the potholes in the city. Housing prices have also gone up, as smaller houses are much more expensive ranging from three-hundred thousand to eight-hundred thousand. ... Read 643 reviews grade  C+ Overall Niche Grade grade  C+ Public Schools Population 200,928 Oxnard City in California. 643 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says I feel like Oxnard is one of the best cities to live in if you'd like to try somewhere new from out of neighborhoods from out of Los Angeles or Santa Barbara. One of the main issues with the city is... Read 643 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: C+, Population: 200,928, View nearby homes Add to List Fillmore Town in California Rating 3.98 out of 5 43 reviews reviews Current Resident: Fillmore is a small town with a great community. The town is surrounded by beautiful mountains and tourist vibes. I love Fillmore because it is safe and the people here get along well. ... Read 43 reviews grade  C Overall Niche Grade grade  C Public Schools Population 16,816 Fillmore Town in California. 43 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says Fillmore is a small town with a great community. The town is surrounded by beautiful mountains and tourist vibes. I love Fillmore because it is safe and the people here get along well. Read 43 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: C, Population: 16,816, View nearby homes Add to List El Rio Suburb of Oxnard, CA Rating 4 out of 5 2 reviews reviews Niche User: Oxnard is the best place to live. We are so close to the beach and close to our neighboring cities that makes everything so easily accesible. The weather never goes below 40 degrees and it usually stays within the 70's. The homes are big and the living is well. There is a lot to do around us and it will never be boring. ... Read 2 reviews grade  C Overall Niche Grade grade  B minus Public Schools Population 6,368 El Rio Suburb of Oxnard, CA. 2 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars. Featured Review: Niche User says Oxnard is the best place to live. We are so close to the beach and close to our neighboring cities that makes everything so easily accesible. The weather never goes below 40 degrees and it usually... Read 2 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: C, Population: 6,368, View nearby homes Add to List Santa Paula Town in California Rating 3.7 out of 5 89 reviews reviews Current Resident: Fun old town with beautiful views and fantastic weather. I would like to see the tap water and the quality of the roads improved. ... Read 89 reviews grade  C minus Overall Niche Grade grade  C Public Schools Population 31,376 Santa Paula Town in California. 89 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says Fun old town with beautiful views and fantastic weather. Read 89 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: C minus, Population: 31,376, View nearby homes Add to List Lake Sherwood Town in California grade  B Overall Niche Grade grade  A+ Public Schools Population 1,633 Lake Sherwood Town in California. Overall Niche Grade: B, Population: 1,633, View nearby homes Add to List Bell Canyon Town in California grade  B minus Overall Niche Grade grade  A+ Public Schools Population 2,177 Bell Canyon Town in California. Overall Niche Grade: B minus, Population: 2,177, View nearby homes Add to List Santa Rosa Valley Town in California grade  C+ Overall Niche Grade grade  B+ Public Schools Population 2,780 Santa Rosa Valley Town in California. Overall Niche Grade: C+, Population: 2,780, View nearby homes Add to List Somis Town in California grade  C Overall Niche Grade grade  B+ Public Schools Population 1,229 Somis Town in California. Overall Niche Grade: C, Population: 1,229, View nearby homes Add to List Review your area Piru Town in California Rating 4.33 out of 5 3 reviews reviews Current Resident: I have lived in Piru for all of my life and I can truly say it is a very quiet and peaceful town. Most of the town goes on about its business and there aren’t that many stores to go about, so much of the grocery shopping has to be done in the town over, Fillmore. Commuting from Piru to Fillmore isn’t a problem and usually takes around 10 minutes to do so by car and 20 if you’re taking the bus. Overall, the town may not have much to offer, but it has heart and is very safe. There are a few parks for children to play in and a skate park as well. A couple miles northeast of the town is the lake which offers camp sites and nice fishing spots as well! Piru is a sleepy little town, maybe not too modern, but just right. ... Read 3 reviews grade  D+ Overall Niche Grade grade  C Public Schools Population 2,185 Piru Town in California. 3 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars. Featured Review: Current Resident says I have lived in Piru for all of my life and I can truly say it is a very quiet and peaceful town. Most of the town goes on about its business and there aren’t that many stores to go about, so much of... Read 3 reviews. Overall Niche Grade: D+, Population: 2,185, View nearby homes Add to List Redo search in this area 1 – 23 of 23 Showing results 1 through 23 of 23 Close map