The Town FilesOjai, California
City in Ventura County · population 7,637 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,016,200
- Household income
- $82,656
- Jan low / Jul high
- 35° / 89°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 47.3
Ojai is a city of 7,637 people in Ventura County, California. The median home is worth $1,016,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for retirees than 96% of California towns, better for cycling than 96% of California towns, hipper than 85% of California towns.
How Ojai ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Ojai is worth $1,016,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 12.3 times the median household income of $82,656, which is more affordable than 3% of California towns. Median rent is $1,955 a month. 59.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Ojai | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,016,200 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,955 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $82,656 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 12.3× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 59.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.7% | — |
Who lives in Ojai
| People | Ojai | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.3 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 18.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 15.4% | — |
| Work from home | 26.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Ojai
July highs average 88.8°F and January lows 34.5°F. About 20.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 76 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 31 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Ojai since 1950.
Severe weather in Ventura County since 1996
Ventura County has been included in 53 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | Fire | FM-5635: Sandy Fire |
| November 6, 2024 | Fire | FM-5545: Mountain Fire |
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Ventura County
Ventura County had 336,272 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $70,487 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Ojai itself the ACS puts it at 4.6%.
Public schools in Ojai
9 public schools with 2,127 students, about 22.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordhoff High | 9-12 | 620 | 17.7 |
| Mira Monte Elementary | K-6 | 509 | 26.8 |
| Topa Topa Elementary | K-6 | 355 | 25.4 |
| Nordhoff Jr. High | 7-8 | 281 | 20.1 |
| Summit | K-12 | 183 | 30.5 |
| Meiners Oaks Elementary | K-K | 86 | 17.2 |
| Legacy High | 9-12 | 49 | 24.5 |
| Valley Oak Charter (charter) | K-12 | 44 | 44.0 |
| A Place to Grow | Other | — | — |
Towns near Ojai
- Meiners Oaks, CA1.4 mi · 3,911 people · home $721,200
- Mira Monte, CA2.6 mi · 6,618 people · home $812,200
- Oak View, CA4.4 mi · 6,215 people · home $819,100
- Santa Paula, CA12.2 mi · 30,657 people · home $611,200
- San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA12.5 mi · 110,763 people · home $827,300
- El Rio, CA15.0 mi · 7,037 people · home $638,300
- Carpinteria, CA15.1 mi · 13,264 people · home $1,043,100
- Oxnard, CA17.4 mi · 202,063 people · home $652,700
Ojai questions
Is Ojai, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ojai scores better for retirees than 96% of California towns and quieter than 75%. 26.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.3).
How much does a house cost in Ojai?
The median owner-occupied home in Ojai is valued at $1,016,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $82,656, so homes cost about 12.3 times income. Median rent is $1,955 a month.
What is the weather like in Ojai?
July highs average 88.8°F and January lows 34.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does Ojai get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Ojai in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)