Home / Housing and BAH / Oxnard vs Ventura vs Camarillo
Which Town Feels Like Home?
Oxnard vs Ventura vs Camarillo, side by side. Home prices, commutes to Port Hueneme and Point Mugu, schools, weather and the everyday feel of each, plus five more towns for comparison.
Side by side
| Oxnard | Ventura | Camarillo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 199,651 | 109,914 | 68,652 |
| Median sale price | $789,000 | $901,000 | $825,000 |
| Price per square foot | $492 | $564 | $485 |
| Typical 3 bedroom rent | $3,890 | $4,050 | $3,870 |
| Median days on market | 43 | 49 | 49 |
| Owner occupied homes | 54% | 56% | 65% |
| Median household income | $96,212 | $103,069 | $113,428 |
| Drive to Port Hueneme | 10 to 20 min | 20 to 30 min | 20 to 30 min |
| Drive to Point Mugu | 15 to 35 min | 28 to 45 min | 15 to 25 min |
| Schools | Oxnard, Rio, Hueneme or Ocean View, then Oxnard Union High | Ventura Unified, K-12 | Pleasant Valley, then Oxnard Union High |
| Summer high, winter low | 74 and 46 | 77 and 44 | 80 and 44 |
| Trains | Amtrak and Metrolink | Amtrak and Metrolink | Amtrak and Metrolink |
Oxnard
The biggest city in the county and the one wrapped around the base. You can live five minutes from Knott Gate or in a harbor home with a boat dock, and both are Oxnard.
Why people pick it: the shortest drive to Port Hueneme, the most homes for sale at any moment, and the widest price range. Condos list from the $400,000s and single family homes cluster around $850,000.
Know this: four elementary districts serve different parts of the city, so the address decides the school. Newer tracts such as RiverPark and Seabridge carry Mello-Roos taxes.
Ventura
The county seat, with a walkable downtown, a pier, surf breaks and hills behind it.
Why people pick it: one school district from kindergarten through twelfth grade, a real downtown and the beach in town.
Know this: it is the highest priced of the three and the longest drive to Point Mugu. Hillside neighborhoods have a wildfire history.
Camarillo
Smaller, a few miles inland and a little warmer. The outlets, a state university and wide suburban streets.
Why people pick it: the short, freeway free drive to Point Mugu, the Pleasant Valley School District and the highest share of owner occupied homes of the three. Catalina Heights military housing is here.
Know this: it is the farthest of the three from the beach, and the foothill edges sit in fire hazard zones.
What the same money buys
Listing medians by home type in October 2026:
| Single family | Townhome | Condo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Hueneme | $750,000 | $601,000 | $539,000 |
| Oxnard | $850,000 | $742,000 | $699,000 |
| Camarillo | $990,000 | $742,000 | $666,000 |
| Ventura | $978,000 | $878,000 | $575,000 |
These are asking prices, not closed sales, so use them to compare towns and not to price a specific home.
All eight cities
| City | To Port Hueneme | To Point Mugu | Median sale price | 3 bed rent | Public schools | Homes for sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port HuenemeClosest to the Port Hueneme gate. A small beach town with a pier, a lot of condos and the lowest prices on this list. | 5 min | 15 to 25 min | $538K | $3,800 | Hueneme Elementary (K-8), Oxnard Union High | See homes in Port Hueneme |
| OxnardWraps the base on three sides. The most homes for sale and the widest price range, from starter condos to harbor homes with boat docks. | 10 to 20 min | 15 to 35 min | $789K | $3,890 | Oxnard, Rio, Hueneme or Ocean View (K-8) by address, Oxnard Union High | See homes in Oxnard |
| CamarilloStraight up Las Posas Road from Point Mugu. Suburban streets, outlet shopping and Catalina Heights military housing. | 20 to 30 min | 15 to 25 min | $825K | $3,870 | Pleasant Valley (K-8), Oxnard Union High | See homes in Camarillo |
| VenturaDowntown, the pier and surf. One school district from kindergarten through senior year. | 20 to 30 min | 28 to 45 min | $901K | $4,050 | Ventura Unified (K-12) | See homes in Ventura |
| Santa PaulaA small farm town up the 126 with new tract homes at Harvest at Limoneira. More house for the money if you can take the drive. | 30 to 40 min | 35 to 50 min | $744K | $4,200* | Santa Paula Unified (K-12) | See homes in Santa Paula |
| Thousand OaksUp the Conejo Grade, with Newbury Park on the near side. Conejo Valley schools, higher prices, a longer drive. | 30 to 45 min | 30 to 50 min | $1.07M | $4,500 | Conejo Valley Unified (K-12) | See homes in Thousand Oaks |
| MoorparkInland, with its own school district. Plan the commute before you fall for the house. | 35 to 45 min | 35 to 50 min | $938K | $4,000 | Moorpark Unified (K-12) | See homes in Moorpark |
| Simi ValleyThe longest drive here. Buyers come for single family homes at a lower price per square foot than the coast. | 45 to 60 min | 45 to 70 min | $804K | $3,850 | Simi Valley Unified (K-12) | See homes in Simi Valley |
Median sale price is the Redfin median for the three months ending August 2026 (Port Hueneme, June 2026). Port Hueneme leans on condo sales, so single family homes there run higher. Rent is the Zumper three bedroom median for late September 2026. *Santa Paula had very few rentals listed. Drive times are estimates outside rush hour, to Knott Gate and to the Las Posas Gate. Confirm school boundaries with the district before you commit to an address.
How to choose
- Start with the gate Port Hueneme command? Oxnard and Port Hueneme are closest. Point Mugu? Look at Camarillo first. The commute page has every drive time.
- Then the school Look up the district for each address you like. The schools page explains who serves what.
- Then the payment Run your number on the BAH page and add HOA dues and Mello-Roos where they apply.
- Then go stand in it Visit at the hour you would leave for work and again at dinner time.
Questions people ask
Is Oxnard or Ventura closer to Naval Base Ventura County?
Oxnard. It surrounds the Port Hueneme site and sits 15 to 35 minutes from Point Mugu. Ventura is 20 to 30 minutes from Port Hueneme and 28 to 45 from Point Mugu.
Which is cheaper, Oxnard, Ventura or Camarillo?
Oxnard has the lowest median sale price of the three at about $789,000 in August 2026, followed by Camarillo at $825,000 and Ventura at $901,000. Port Hueneme is lower still.
Which town is best for Point Mugu?
Camarillo has the shortest and simplest drive, about 15 to 25 minutes down Las Posas Road. South Oxnard and Port Hueneme are similar in time.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (2025 estimates); Redfin city market pages, August 2026; Homes.com city pages, October 2026; Zumper rent research; published climate normals; district websites. Hours, prices, laws and dates change, so confirm with the official source before you act.
Keep going
Still torn between two towns?
Spend a Saturday with Adam. He will drive you through all three and put real homes in front of you at your price.