Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety61#6,043/15,637
Economy77#3,603/15,631
Housing3#14,574/14,977
Health81#2,948/15,609
Healthcare88#1,914/15,650
Environment26#11,453/15,453
Education20#12,445/15,649
Infrastructure80#3,100/15,650
Community53#7,379/15,651
Leisure & amenities80#3,145/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Simi Valley, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Ventura County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Comfortable days · high50.5%
99/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationVentura County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · low4 mi
98/100California 10 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauVentura County value
Adult obesity · low24.2%
95/100California 30.4%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Child poverty rate · low6.1%
93/100California 14.6%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high7.9 /10k
92/100California 8.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsVentura County value
Public EV charging ports · high15.6 /10k
91/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyVentura County value

Weaknesses

Students per teacher · high22.6×
2/100California 21.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsVentura County value
Rent-burdened households · high63.6%
2/100California 55.3%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Home price to income ratio · high6.8×
6/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
High ozone days · high10 days
7/100California 38 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyVentura County value
Natural hazard risk · high92.9
7/100California 87.32025Federal Emergency Management AgencyVentura County value
Rent as share of income · high35.8%
10/100California 32.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedWorsening
0.4 /1k (2021) → 0.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−28%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
33.6% (2015-2019) → 39.1% (2020-2024)
+5.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Median household incomeImproving
$99,151 (2015-2019) → $122,081 (2020-2024)
+23%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
59.7% (2015-2019) → 63.6% (2020-2024)
+3.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
91.1% (2015-2019) → 94.9% (2020-2024)
+3.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
5.9× (2015-2019) → 6.7× (2020-2024)
+14%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Simi Valley, California improved on 4 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 8 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Commute−3.8 min30.9 min → 27.1 min
Bachelor's++5.5 points33.6% → 39.1%
Household income+23%$99,151 → $122,081
Broadband+3.7 points91.1% → 94.9%

Declined2

Price / income+0.8×5.9× → 6.7×
Transit use−0.7 points1.1% → 0.4%

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Simi Valley, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	30.9 min2015-2019	27.1 min2020-2024	−3.8 min	Improved	84%
Bachelor's degree or higher	33.6%2015-2019	39.1%2020-2024	+5.5 points	Improved	71%
Broadband subscriptions	91.1%2015-2019	94.9%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Improved	24%
Child poverty rate	7.3%2015-2019	6.1%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Effective property tax rate	0.81%2015-2019	0.74%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	29%
High school diploma or higher	91.9%2015-2019	90.8%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Home price to income ratio	5.9×2015-2019	6.7×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	28%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4182015-2019	0.4282020-2024	+0.011	Within the margin of error	41%
Median household income	$99,1512015-2019	$122,0812020-2024	+23%	Improved	40%
Poverty rate	6.4%2015-2019	6.4%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Public transit commuters	1.1%2015-2019	0.4%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Declined	19%
Rent as share of income	35.2%2015-2019	35.8%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Rent-burdened households	59.7%2015-2019	63.6%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Unemployment rate	4.5%2015-2019	5.0%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.6%2015-2019	5.4%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	49%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Simi Valley, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Simi Valley, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Simi Valley, California itself moved −1.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

125,634 residents (±100)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 women (−1.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

125,634 residents (±100)

Simi Valley, California
California share

White53%66,988
Black1.2%1,556
Hispanic or Latino29%36,438

Education

89,990 residents (±1,009)

Simi Valley, California
California share

No high school diploma9.2%8,284
High school or GED19%16,773
Some college22%19,895

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

44,457 households (±798)

Simi Valley, California
California share

Under $25k7.1%3,178
$25k–50k12%5,158
$50k–75k11%4,773
$75k–100k11%4,904
$100k–150k20%8,991
$150k–200k14%6,262
$200k or more25%11,191

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+11.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

44,457 households (±798)

Simi Valley, California
California share

Own73%32,423
Rent27%12,034

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

11,550 households (±700)

Simi Valley, California
California share

Under $7503.0%†347
$750–1,0003.4%†395
$1,000–1,5005.6%†646

Home values

32,423 homes (±867)

Simi Valley, California
California share

Under $150k3.9%1,259
$150k–250k1.0%†327
$250k–400k1.9%†630

Age of homes

45,290 homes (±792)

Simi Valley, California
California share

2010 or later4.8%2,183
2000–200911%5,004
1980–199934%15,599

Size of homes

45,290 homes (±792)

Simi Valley, California
California share

Studio1.2%†522
1 bedroom7.7%3,493
2 bedrooms17%7,721

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

64,626 workers (±1,398)

Simi Valley, California
California share

Drive alone70%45,387
Carpool8.2%5,290
Public transit0.4%†249
Walk0.9%†549
Bike0.3%†190
Work from home19%12,365
Other0.9%596

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+13.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

52,261 workers (±1,376)

Simi Valley, California
California share

Under 15 min26%13,395
15–29 min32%16,932
30–44 min24%12,520

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Ventura County, the county holding most of Simi Valley's residents.

Ventura County has 22,992 employer establishments, 276 for every 10,000 residents (1.11× the US rate of 248; 1.05× California's), with 273,697 paid employees at an average annual pay of $66,404. The Census Bureau also counts 72,581 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 22,992; 72,581 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 276; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 273,697
Average annual pay: $66,404; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Ventura County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	2,507	30.1	1.45×More than typical	18,941	$64,394	3,842
Specialty trade contractors	1,593	19.1	1.24×About typical	12,253	$65,160	3,164
Restaurants and other eating places	1,555	18.7	1.02×About typical	30,292	$26,886	216
Lessors of real estate	1,138	13.7	1.11×About typical	3,427	$67,870	7,119
Offices of physicians	956	11.5	1.77×More than typical	4,191	$100,370	696
Management, scientific and technical consulting	811	9.7	1.45×More than typical	2,839	$108,766	2,944
Construction of buildings	733	8.8	1.17×About typical	4,285	$67,472	1,820
Limited-service restaurants	710	8.5	1.06×About typical	13,883	$23,851	89
Services to buildings and dwellings	658	7.9	1.17×About typical	5,210	$44,825	3,604
Building equipment contractors	620	7.5	1.24×About typical	4,679	$69,505	758
Offices of other health practitioners	607	7.3	1.20×About typical	4,215	$44,142	1,980
Full-service restaurants	584	7	0.91×About typical	13,076	$30,757	82

Rank places for an industry Open Ventura County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 832,071 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $369.4M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Simi Valley, California: $2,941 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $369.4M; −15% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2,941; US $1,994
Sole-source: 84%; US 30%
Single offer: 13%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$274.3M74%
Department of the Air Force$56.4M15%
Department of the Navy$20.4M5.5%
National Archives and Records Administration$8.4M2.3%
Department of Energy$3.8M1.0%
Defense Logistics Agency$3.1M0.8%
Federal Bureau of Investigation$895.8K0.2%
Federal Railroad Administration$551.6K0.1%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

31.6MFY2017
54MFY2018
34.9MFY2019
105.4MFY2020
93.2MFY2021
132.4MFY2022
414.8MFY2023
381.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$330M89%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$21M5.7%
Facilities support services · 5612$4.9M1.3%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$3.9M1.1%
Investigation and security services · 5616$2M0.5%
Communications equipment manufacturing · 3342$1.6M

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Simi Valley, California

LOW ALTITUDE STALKING AND STRIKE ORDNANCE SCD IS A$256.8M
AEROVIRONMENT, INC· Ventura County, CA· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Dec 29, 2025 – Jun 5, 2026· W91CRB26FA055
FY20-22 SWITCHBLADE HARDWARE PRODUCTION$254.4M
AEROVIRONMENT, INC.· Ventura County, CA· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Apr 30, 2020 – May 22, 2026· W31P4Q20C0024
LOITERED MUNITIONS, SWITCHBLADE 300 AND 600 ALL UP ROUNDS$218M
AEROVIRONMENT, INC· Ventura County, CA· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jan 17, 2025 – Apr 22, 2026· W91CRB25F0094
DELIVERY ORDER TO PURCHASE ALL UP ROUNDS, FIRE CONTROL SYSTEMS AND SMART BATTERY CHARGERS

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Simi Valley, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Simi Valley, California's figures are part of those of Ventura County, CA ($1.5B in FY2026), never added to them: 24% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Simi Valley is mostly in Ventura County.

See federal money in Ventura County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Simi Valley, California is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Ventura County66100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA77

Other cities and towns in Ventura County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0672016

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends