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Ventura

Current Population110,763

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Ventura

Ventura is a coastal city offering a relaxed beach-town lifestyle, historic neighborhoods, scenic landscapes, and convenient access to both the Pacific Ocean and surrounding Ventura County communities. Real estate ranges from beach-area condos and cottages to traditional single-family homes, townhomes, and larger properties.

Residents enjoy beaches, parks, hiking, cycling, local restaurants, shops, and Ventura's historic downtown. Its combination of coastal scenery, outdoor recreation, and established neighborhoods makes Ventura appealing to buyers looking for a more relaxed alternative to the denser Los Angeles coastal communities.

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Ventura, officially San Buenaventura, is the county seat of Ventura County, a coastal city of about 110,000 people built around the 1782 mission, a walkable downtown on Main Street and several miles of beaches and the Ventura Harbor. It stretches from the hillsides above downtown east along the 101 to the Santa Clara River, with neighborhoods that range from Victorian and Craftsman streets to post-war tracts and newer east-end communities.

Where is Ventura?On the coast of Ventura County, north-west of Oxnard across the Santa Clara River, at the junction of the 101, Highway 33 to Ojai and Highway 126 to Santa Paula, with Santa Barbara County about 20 miles up the coast.
City or county?An independent city incorporated in 1866, with its own council, police and fire departments and harbor.
What kinds of homes?Victorian, Craftsman and Spanish homes downtown and on the hillside streets above it, beach houses and condos at Pierpont and the Keys, post-war ranch tracts in midtown and the east end, hillside view homes in Ondulando and Clearpoint, and newer subdivisions and condos in east Ventura.
Which schools?Ventura Unified School District.
ZIP codes93001, 93003, 93004

Living in Ventura

About Ventura

Mission San Buenaventura was founded in 1782, the town incorporated in 1866 and the oil boom of the 1920s built the downtown that survives on Main Street, with the Majestic Ventura Theater, City Hall on the hill and the beach promenade and pier below. The city is the county seat and the Government Center on the east side is a major employer alongside Patagonia, the hospitals and the oil industry.

Ventura is long and narrow between the hills and the ocean. Downtown and the hillsides are at the west end; Pierpont and the Ventura Keys line the beach south of the pier; midtown holds the post-war tracts; the east end, east of Victoria Avenue, has the newer neighborhoods, Ventura College and the Government Center; and Saticoy and the farmland lie beyond.

Homes and real estate in Ventura

The highest prices are on the water and on the hills: beach houses and condos at Pierpont Bay and Solimar, waterfront homes with docks in the Ventura Keys, and view homes in the Ondulando, Clearpoint and Hobson Heights hillside tracts above midtown and downtown. Downtown itself has restored Victorians and Craftsman bungalows within walking distance of Main Street.

Midtown and the east end make up most of the market, with ranch homes from the 1950s to 1970s on standard lots and newer tracts and condos toward the Santa Clara River. Prices generally sit below Santa Barbara and the Conejo Valley for comparable homes, and the coastal climate stays cool most of the year.

Schools serving Ventura

The Ventura Unified School District serves the city, with Ventura, Buena and Foothill Technology high schools and neighborhood elementary and middle schools, and Ventura College is on the east side. Boundaries follow streets, so check a specific address with the district.

Getting around from Ventura

The 101 runs the length of the city and north to Santa Barbara, Highway 33 leads to Ojai and Highway 126 to Santa Paula and the Santa Clarita Valley. The downtown Ventura station serves Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner, and Metrolink’s Ventura County Line ends at the East Ventura station. Los Angeles is about 65 miles and more than an hour away, so most residents work within the county. The harbor is the gateway to Channel Islands National Park.

Questions buyers ask about Ventura

Where is Ventura?

On the coast of Ventura County, north-west of Oxnard, where the 101 meets Highway 33 to Ojai and Highway 126 to Santa Paula.

Is Ventura the same as San Buenaventura?

Yes. San Buenaventura is the city’s official name; Ventura is the common one. It is the county seat, incorporated in 1866.

What kinds of homes are in Ventura?

Victorian, Craftsman and Spanish homes downtown and on the hillsides, beach houses and condos at Pierpont and the Keys, post-war ranch tracts in midtown, hillside view homes in Ondulando and Clearpoint, and newer subdivisions in east Ventura.

Which school district serves Ventura?

Ventura Unified School District. Boundaries follow streets, so check a specific address with the district.

Which Ventura neighborhoods are on the water?

Pierpont, the streets between the 101 and the beach south of the pier, and the Ventura Keys, a canal community with boat docks next to the harbor. Solimar and Faria Beach, north of the city on the coast, are unincorporated county beach colonies.

Free Market Report

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$969,000Median list price
167Homes for sale
56Avg. days on market
$850,000Median sold price (12 mo)
843Homes sold (12 mo)
99.2%Sale-to-list price

Homes for sale and closed sales (no rentals) from the MLS — CSMAR and its data-share MLSs. Updated Oct 9, 2026.

Ventura

Market Report

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