Oxnard, California

Residents of Oxnard who have also lived in San Diego, will often tell you that it is a bit like a smaller, mellower version of San Diego. It’s on the coast, has great beaches, and has an amazingly diverse scene that mixes Mexican and beach culture in a mellow town. If you’re looking to party, you might head to Downtown Ventura, Santa Barbara, or even Los Angeles, but if you want to hit the beach and just grab a beer and chill, then check out Oxnard.

Some visitors to Oxnard complain about the fact that while the beach stretch of Oxnard is beautiful, it’s completely unaffordable, and the inward parts get cheaper but are grittier and more dangerous. Your perspective on this might be based on where you’re coming from. If you’re coming from somewhere far from California, then sure, this might bother you. On the other hand, if you’re coming from LA or even San Diego, then what others call “gritty” you’ll recognize as code for Mexicans and the homeless. Much of the city is pleasant and beautiful, and the cultural integration is what makes cities like Oxnard special.

Oxnard is a beach town that has a mix of wealthy people living near the beach and largely working-class families living in the inland neighborhoods. The beaches are beautiful and are dedicated to water sports culture. If you’re looking to drink boutique cocktails or eat fancier food, then you’re going to head to Ventura. On the other hand, if you’re up for a beer and amazing affordable Mexican food, then you’ll stay busy when you aren’t hanging out at the beach.

If you want to see what happens in Oxnard, check out the local calendar of events.

We highly recommend visiting Oxnard and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

Two things are often the case in Oxnard: 1) you are working or middle class, and in the ag, professional or service businesses, or 2) you are commuting elsewhere. Very little business is conducted inside the city limits so the only thing we will note is you should be ready for brutal drives. Traffic in SoCal is no joke. Think twice or even three times about living in Oxnard because it is cheaper and you’re planning to do daily commutes to LA. You will hate your life.