Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Thousand Oaks, CA
VS
West Valley City, UT
🏆 Thousand Oaks leads 14 of 23 categories
Thousand Oaks
California
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
113.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$125,399 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
27 ✓ Safer
Population
126,532
West Valley City
Utah
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
96.7 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$81,719
Violent Crime Index
124⚠ High
Population
138,868 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Thousand Oaks, CA
Pros
78% less violent crime than West Valley City
Households earn $43,680 more per year on average
More college-educated — 49.6% hold a bachelor's or higher
Violent crime is well below the national average (102.2 vs 380/100k)
Milder winters — January highs near 68°F vs 39°F
Cooler summers — July highs near 78°F vs 94°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $900,600
Higher rents — median is $2,483/mo
Cost of living runs 17% higher than West Valley City
Living costs are well above the U.S. average (index 113.5)
West Valley City, UT
Pros
Homes cost $567k less ($333,600 vs $900,600)
Rent averages $1123/mo less ($1,360 vs $2,483)
17% cheaper overall cost of living than Thousand Oaks
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.8 pts lower (4.0%)
Commutes run 3 min shorter each way
Cons
Median income trails Thousand Oaks by $43,680/yr
Violent crime (469.5/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Snowy winters — about 52" of snow per year
Key Differences at a Glance
Thousand Oaks
Median Income
$43,680
$125,399 vs $81,719/yr
Thousand Oaks
Violent Crime
78% lower
102.2 vs 469.5 per 100k
West Valley City
Cost of Living
17% cheaper
COL index 96.7 vs 113.5 (100 = US avg)
West Valley City
Median Home Value
$567k less
$333,600 vs $900,600
West Valley City
Unemployment
0.8 pp lower
4.0% vs 4.8% unemployment
West Valley City
Summer Heat
16.0°F warmer
July avg high 94.0°F vs 78.0°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Thousand Oaks, CA | West Valley City, UT |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 113.5⚠ High | 96.7 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $900,600⚠ High | $333,600⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,483⚠ High | $1,360⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $125,399 ✓ Higher | $81,719 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.8%⚠ High | 4.0%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 25.1 min | 21.9 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 18.4% ✓ Higher | 8.3% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 36 ✓ Safer | 109⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 27 ✓ Safer | 124⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 49 ✓ Safer | 88 |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (109) ✓ Better | C- (73) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 20.9:1 ✓ Smaller | 22.5:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 49.6% ✓ Higher | 15.8% |
| High School or Higher | 94.0% ✓ Higher | 83.2% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Conejo Valley Unified | Granite District |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 68.0°F ✓ Warmer | 38.6°F |
| Avg High — July | 78.0°F | 94.0°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.1" ✓ Drier | 17.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" ✓ Less | 51.9" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 126,532 | 138,868 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 44.4 ✓ Older | 30.2 |
| Homeownership Rate | 69.2% | 71.1% ✓ Higher |
| Under 18 | 20.3% | 31.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 19.9% ✓ More | 9.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Thousand Oaks's cost of living index is 113.5 vs West Valley City's 96.7 (US average = 100).
West Valley City is 17% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Thousand Oaks leads 14 of 23 categories. Thousand Oaks wins 14 and West Valley City wins 9. 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 West Valley City or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($900,600 vs $333,600 median home), income ($125,399 vs $81,719), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Thousand Oaks, CA and West Valley City, UT are about 585 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.