California · Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area

Buying a home in Ventura, California

In Ventura, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $827,300, Ventura County's effective property tax rate is 0.68%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $9,419 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $2,198 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Ventura home costs, fact by fact

About Ventura

Ventura is an incorporated city in Ventura County, California, with a population of 109,831. It lies in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area, which ranks 75th among U.S. metro areas. The median value of owner-occupied homes, as estimated by owners rather than a sale price, is $827,300, and 55.9% of homes are owner-occupied.

Reading the Ventura figures

Ventura pairs an $827,300 owner estimate with a position just above California's $770,700. Hayward reports slightly more, $854,400, as does Anaheim, $831,200. Simi Valley reads $823,800 and Garden Grove $814,100, both slightly less. Long Beach ($806,600) is a bit further down. Oakland, at $929,900, is clearly higher, with San Diego next at $906,700. Concord reaches $797,600 while Downey, at $796,600, is just under it, and Inglewood ($792,800) closes the cluster below. Values are owners' estimates, not recorded sales, so use the ranking as a guide only.

Rent is $2,198 a month, near Anaheim's $2,175 and Fullerton's $2,194. Garden Grove records $2,012, then Downey $1,937, then Long Beach $1,871, all lower. Hayward reads $2,391 and Concord $2,274, both higher, with Simi Valley higher still at $2,579. Oakland comes in at $1,979, Los Angeles close behind at $1,933, despite higher values, a reminder that value and rent do not always travel together. HUD's table for the Ventura zone gives $2,424 and $3,287 for the smaller and larger sizes, a yardstick for the whole zone and not a Ventura median.

Ownership stands at 55.9% of households, under Simi Valley (72.9%) and Concord (61.6%). Hayward sits closer at 58%. Garden Grove has 53.1% owners, then Downey 51.1%. Anaheim has 46.2% and San Diego 47.3%. Long Beach, with 41.2%, leans further toward renting, and Inglewood, with 36.2%, further still. Owners are therefore a modest share in Ventura rather than a dominant one.

Ventura County's tax figures nearly match the city. A 0.68% rate and a county middle value of $822,700 produce a typical annual bill of $5,574, and the city estimate lies only a little higher, so the county dollar amount is a sound first guide. In 2025, 4,252 loans in the county cost $9,419 at the median, the middle of the range stretching from $6,823 to $16,345. The city has 109,831 residents and belongs to a metro area of 835,427 people.

A few extra readings round this out. Ventura County's middle home value, $822,700, is a hair under the city's $827,300, which is why the county tax read transfers well to the city. HUD's smaller-size figure of $2,424 sits above the city's rent of $2,198, which fits the pattern of benchmarks running above local medians. Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego report higher values than Ventura, yet owner shares of only 42.3%, 36% and 47.3%. Ventura is one of 77 covered California cities, in a metro area ranking 75th nationally. Both the owners' values and HUD's benchmarks are reference points, not recorded sales or asking rents, so use them to place Ventura.

Calculate for California

If you buy

California state transfer tax

California has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one.

Price$770,700
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the California median value of owner-occupied homes, $770,700 (Census ACS 2025). Not computed: No state tax. The tax is set by county and city, so it cannot be computed from the state alone. Who pays: Neither the state statute nor the City of Los Angeles FAQ assigns the tax; the purchase contract and escrow instructions decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. California transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: California state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Ventura

How much is property tax in Ventura?

Homeowners in Ventura County pay a median $5,574 a year in property tax, 0.68% of the county median home value of $822,700 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Ventura?

Home-purchase mortgages in Ventura County carried median total loan costs of $9,419 in 2025; half of the 4,252 loans fell between $6,823 and $16,345 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Ventura?

California has no state transfer tax. Counties may charge $0.55 per $500 of value under the Documentary Transfer Tax Act, and cities such as Los Angeles add their own, with Measure ULA adding 4% or 5.5% on very high-priced sales.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ventura?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Ventura ($827,300) equals 31.4 years of the median gross rent ($2,198 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Ventura?

Across California, the main hazards for home insurance are earthquake, wildfire, flood and landslide, and the insurer of last resort is California FAIR Plan. A standard California homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage; insurers must offer earthquake coverage (Insurance Code 10081), and the FAIR Plan sells limited fire coverage up to $3 million for residential policyholders.

Run your own numbers: rent vs buy calculator · closing costs calculator.

California rules that apply in Ventura

Other large cities in California

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Sources

California · All states · Federal guides