Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Thousand Oaks, CA
VS
Vacaville, CA
🏆 Thousand Oaks leads 17 of 22 categories
Thousand Oaks
California
17
wins
Cost of Living Index
113.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$125,399 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
27 ✓ Safer
Population
126,532 ✓ Larger
Vacaville
California
5
wins
Cost of Living Index
109.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$106,764
Violent Crime Index
77
Population
101,631
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Thousand Oaks, CA
Pros
65% less violent crime than Vacaville
Violent crime is well below the national average (102.2 vs 380/100k)
More college-educated — 49.6% hold a bachelor's or higher
Households earn $18,635 more per year on average
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.6 pts lower (4.8%)
Commutes run 4 min shorter each way
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $900,600
Higher rents — median is $2,483/mo
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 113.5)
Cost of living runs 4% higher than Vacaville
Vacaville, CA
Pros
Homes cost $340k less ($560,400 vs $900,600)
Rent averages $342/mo less ($2,141 vs $2,483)
4% cheaper overall cost of living than Thousand Oaks
Cons
Median income trails Thousand Oaks by $18,635/yr
Longer commutes — 28.9 min average each way
Key Differences at a Glance
Thousand Oaks
Median Income
$18,635
$125,399 vs $106,764/yr
Thousand Oaks
Violent Crime
65% lower
102.2 vs 293.2 per 100k
Thousand Oaks
Unemployment
0.6 pp lower
4.8% vs 5.4% unemployment
Vacaville
Cost of Living
4% cheaper
COL index 109.2 vs 113.5 (100 = US avg)
Vacaville
Median Home Value
$340k less
$560,400 vs $900,600
Vacaville
Summer Heat
17.0°F warmer
July avg high 95.0°F vs 78.0°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Thousand Oaks, CA | Vacaville, CA |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 113.5⚠ High | 109.2⚠ High ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $900,600⚠ High | $560,400⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,483⚠ High | $2,141⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $125,399 ✓ Higher | $106,764 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.8%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.4%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 25.1 min ✓ Shorter | 28.9 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 18.4% ✓ Higher | 9.7% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 36 ✓ Safer | 79 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 27 ✓ Safer | 77 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 49 ✓ Safer | 83 |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (109) ✓ Better | C+ (89) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 20.9:1 ✓ Smaller | 21.9:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 49.6% ✓ Higher | 26.3% |
| High School or Higher | 94.0% ✓ Higher | 91.4% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Conejo Valley Unified | Vacaville Unified |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 68.0°F ✓ Warmer | 57.6°F |
| Avg High — July | 78.0°F | 95.0°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.1" ✓ Drier | 24.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 126,532 ✓ Larger | 101,631 |
| Median Age | 44.4 ✓ Older | 37.3 |
| Homeownership Rate | 69.2% ✓ Higher | 66.2% |
| Under 18 | 20.3% | 22.5% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 19.9% ✓ More | 14.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Thousand Oaks's cost of living index is 113.5 vs Vacaville's 109.2 (US average = 100).
Vacaville is 4% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Thousand Oaks leads 17 of 22 categories. Thousand Oaks wins 17 and Vacaville wins 5. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Thousand Oaks to Vacaville or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($900,600 vs $560,400 median home), income ($125,399 vs $106,764), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Thousand Oaks, CA and Vacaville, CA are about 335 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.