The Town Files

Channel Islands Beach, California

Community in Ventura County · population 2,870 (2020 Census)

Map: where Channel Islands Beach is in CaliforniaChannel Islands Beach
Median home
$1,111,200
Household income
$107,380
Jan low / Jul high
46° / 73°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
45.0

Channel Islands Beach is a community of 2,870 people in Ventura County, California. The median home is worth $1,111,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more seaside character than 97% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 94% of California towns, better for young professionals than 89% of California towns.

Channel Islands Beach in our rankings:

How Channel Islands Beach ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Channel Islands Beach lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement44th pctFamilies2nd pctQuiet53rd pctWalkability55th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals89th pctVibrancy63rd pctHip & trendy85th pctCollege town19th pctUpscale57th pctVacation homes94th pctSeaside character97th pctCycling58th pctTransit43rd pctDriving75th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Channel Islands Beach is worth $1,111,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 10.3 times the median household income of $107,380, which is more affordable than 8% of California towns. Median rent is $2,392 a month. 54.4% of households own their home.

Channel Islands Beach vs Ventura County vs typical California townChannel Islands BeachVentura CountyTypical California townHome value$1,111,200$822,700$596,900Household income$107,380$109,797$91,557Monthly rent$2,392$2,317$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingChannel Islands BeachTypical California town
Median home value$1,111,200$596,900
Median rent$2,392$1,827
Median household income$107,380$91,557
Home value ÷ income10.3×6.4×
Homeownership54.4%67.4%
Median year built19761977
Seasonal / vacation homes34.9%—

Who lives in Channel Islands Beach

PeopleChannel Islands BeachTypical California town
Median age45.040.2
Age 65 and over19.8%17.7%
Under 1813.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher48.8%27.7%
Below the poverty line4.8%10.3%
Veterans6.3%—
Born outside the U.S.5.6%—
Work from home13.5%13.4%
Average commute29.2 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband97.4%93.3%

Weather in Channel Islands Beach

July highs average 72.9°F and January lows 46.1°F. About 12.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 2 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.

Channel Islands Beach monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°66°46°Jan65°48°Feb66°49°Mar67°51°Apr68°54°May70°58°Jun73°61°Jul74°61°Aug74°60°Sep74°55°Oct70°50°Nov66°47°DecPrecipitation (in)2.93.32.30.70.30.10.00.00.10.50.72.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Oxnard Ventura Co Ap station (2.5 mi away); snow from Ventura (8.6 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Channel Islands Beach since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on February 13, 2025 about 4.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 13, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Channel Islands Beach by decade01950s01960s01970s11980s11990s22000s22010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Ventura County since 1996

Storm events in Ventura County since 1996 by typeHail3Flood14Tornado6Wildfire17High Wind43Lightning2Heavy Rain8Debris Flow7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Ventura County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Ventura County has been included in 53 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 18, 2026FireFM-5635: Sandy Fire
November 6, 2024FireFM-5545: Mountain Fire
April 13, 2024Severe StormDR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in Ventura County

Ventura County had 336,272 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $70,487 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Channel Islands Beach itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.

Largest industries in Ventura CountyHealth care & social assistan…49,739 jobs · $57,825Retail35,647 jobs · $45,554Hotels & restaurants33,250 jobs · $31,700Manufacturing27,385 jobs · $83,438Agriculture, forestry & fishi…24,597 jobs · $42,916Construction17,879 jobs · $75,869
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Ventura County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Ventura 4.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Channel Islands Beach

Channel Islands Beach questions

Is Channel Islands Beach, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Channel Islands Beach scores better for retirees than 44% of California towns and quieter than 53%. 19.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 45.0).

How much does a house cost in Channel Islands Beach?

The median owner-occupied home in Channel Islands Beach is valued at $1,111,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $107,380, so homes cost about 10.3 times income. Median rent is $2,392 a month.

What is the weather like in Channel Islands Beach?

July highs average 72.9°F and January lows 46.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Channel Islands Beach get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Channel Islands Beach since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on February 13, 2025. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Channel Islands Beach's Census boundary (GEOID 0612669). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.