The Town FilesEl Rio, California
Community in Ventura County · population 7,037 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $638,300
- Household income
- $72,598
- Jan low / Jul high
- 46° / 78°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 33.9
El Rio is a community of 7,037 people in Ventura County, California. The median home is worth $638,300, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 82% of California towns, more walkable than 77% of California towns, more vibrant than 75% of California towns.
How El Rio 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in El Rio is worth $638,300, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.8 times the median household income of $72,598, which is more affordable than 18% of California towns. Median rent is $2,089 a month. 55.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | El Rio | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $638,300 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,089 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $72,598 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.8× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 55.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1956 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.0% | — |
Who lives in El Rio
| People | El Rio | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 26.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 20.1% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 29.6% | — |
| Work from home | 5.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 23.3 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in El Rio
July highs average 77.8°F and January lows 45.9°F. About 14.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of El Rio since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on February 13, 2025 about 5.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 13, 2025.
Severe weather in Ventura County since 1996
Ventura County has been included in 53 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | Fire | FM-5635: Sandy Fire |
| November 6, 2024 | Fire | FM-5545: Mountain Fire |
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-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 El Rio itself the ACS puts it at 10.4%.
Public schools in El Rio
2 public schools with 949 students, about 27.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portola Elementary | K-5 | 501 | 27.8 |
| Junipero Serra Elementary | K-5 | 448 | 26.4 |
Towns near El Rio
- Oxnard, CA4.3 mi · 202,063 people · home $652,700
- San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA5.8 mi · 110,763 people · home $827,300
- Port Hueneme, CA6.4 mi · 21,954 people · home $587,000
- Channel Islands Beach, CA6.7 mi · 2,870 people · home $1,111,200
- Camarillo, CA7.3 mi · 70,741 people · home $827,300
- Santa Paula, CA9.2 mi · 30,657 people · home $611,200
- Casa Conejo, CA12.8 mi · 3,267 people · home $888,400
- Oak View, CA13.6 mi · 6,215 people · home $819,100
El Rio questions
Is El Rio, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, El Rio scores better for retirees than 18% of California towns and quieter than 26%. 10.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.9).
How much does a house cost in El Rio?
The median owner-occupied home in El Rio is valued at $638,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,598, so homes cost about 8.8 times income. Median rent is $2,089 a month.
What is the weather like in El Rio?
July highs average 77.8°F and January lows 45.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 14.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does El Rio get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of El Rio since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on February 13, 2025. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)