Chico Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Should you move?

Moving from Chico to Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura is less favorable: BEA regional price parity goes from 101.2 to 110.5 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $1,068/mo.

+$5,857
BLS median salary higher in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
477 to 477
violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
21.5:1 to 21.5:1
NCES student-teacher ratio
$0
DOL infant care higher / yr in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura

BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.

Verdict
Less Favorable
Cost Index: 101.2 → 110.5
Rent Delta: +$1,068/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $6K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 9% higher cost of living
  • - $1068/mo more expensive rent (2BR)

Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 101.2 to 110.5, so the same paycheck buys less in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura (ratio 1.09). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $1,068/mo ($12,816/yr) from $1,625 in Chico to $2,693 in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura.

The seven-dimension ledger splits (1 destination wins · 2 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura sits #384 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (bottom third of the corpus). Chico is #363/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Less Favorable. Override it with the dimension table below.

BLS OEWS median salary moves $5,857 higher ($69,223 → $75,080). Labor-market size: 70,590 tracked jobs at origin vs 310,050 at destination.

Both metros sit in California: state retirement score 40 (F, #50/51) - tax posture does not change with this move. Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.

Dimension
Chico
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
Winner
Cost of Living
RPP 101.2
RPP 110.5
Chico
Rent (2BR)
$1,625/mo
$2,693/mo
Chico
Wages
$69,223
$75,080
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
Crime
477 per 100K
477 per 100K
Tie
Schools
21.5:1
21.5:1
Tie
Childcare
$17,920/yr
$17,920/yr
Tie
Environment
17705 violations
17705 violations
Tie

State retirement friendliness

Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.

Origin state · California
40 F #50/51
Income tax
70
Property tax
72
Estate tax
100
Healthcare
4

Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Chico to see what you'd need to earn in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
-

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026