Should I Move To
Thousand Oaks, California is home to about 126,532 people. On cost of living, it lands in the very expensive band — 37% above the national average. The median renter pays around $2,483 a month against a typical household income of $125,399. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 58 out of 100 (grade C), putting it at #194 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Thousand Oaks's composite cost-of-living index lands at 137 (100 = US average), which puts it in the very expensive band. At $2,483/mo against $125,399 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 24% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $900,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is mild — summer averages around 77°F, winter averages around 45°F. Precipitation totals about 12 inches a year. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere. On crime, it scores well — incidents per capita run noticeably under the national average. Air quality reads good (AQI 39).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Thousand Oaks reads as a moderate fit for families. It earns 56/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on safety (92/100); weakest on affordability (5/100).
Thousand Oaks doesn't obviously fit retirees. It earns 49/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on safety (92/100); weakest on affordability (5/100).
Thousand Oaks doesn't obviously fit remote workers. It earns 43/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on safety (92/100); weakest on affordability (5/100).
Thousand Oaks reads as a moderate fit for young professionals. It earns 56/100 (grade C) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on safety (92/100); weakest on affordability (5/100).
Thousand Oaks, California pulls a 58/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C), currently ranked #194 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Thousand Oaks's cost-of-living index is 137 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very expensive band — 37% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,483/mo.
Mild — summer averages around 77°F, winter averages around 45°F, with about 12 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 57/100. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere.
Thousand Oaks has about 126,532 residents, 50% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 44.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Thousand Oaks head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Thousand Oaks stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Thousand Oaks with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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