The Town FilesSanta Paula, California
City in Ventura County · population 30,657 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $611,200
- Household income
- $79,294
- Jan low / Jul high
- 45° / 78°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 35.7
Santa Paula is a city of 30,657 people in Ventura County, California. The median home is worth $611,200, close to the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more of a college town than 91% of California towns, more walkable than 72% of California towns.
How Santa Paula 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 Santa Paula is worth $611,200, close to the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.7 times the median household income of $79,294, which is more affordable than 31% of California towns. Median rent is $1,736 a month. 55.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Santa Paula | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $611,200 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,736 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $79,294 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 55.9% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1970 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.5% | — |
Who lives in Santa Paula
| People | Santa Paula | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.7 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.5% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 25.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.1% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 31.4% | — |
| Work from home | 4.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Santa Paula
July highs average 78.0°F and January lows 45.0°F. About 12.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Paula since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on January 21, 2010 about 8.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on January 21, 2010.
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 Santa Paula itself the ACS puts it at 6.8%.
Public schools in Santa Paula
13 public schools with 5,523 students, about 21.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Paula High | 9-12 | 1,659 | 21.8 |
| Glen City Elementary | K-6 | 692 | 23.1 |
| Isbell Middle | 7-8 | 671 | 21.6 |
| Grace Thille Elementary | K-6 | 375 | 23.4 |
| Barbara Webster Elementary | K-6 | 343 | 18.1 |
| McKevett Elementary | K-6 | 317 | 22.6 |
| Blanchard Elementary | K-6 | 316 | 18.6 |
| Thelma Bedell Elementary | K-6 | 309 | 19.3 |
| Olivelands Elementary | K-4 | 240 | 21.8 |
| Briggs Elementary | 5-8 | 239 | 19.9 |
| Mupu Elementary | K-8 | 185 | 20.6 |
| Renaissance High | 9-12 | 124 | 24.8 |
Towns near Santa Paula
- Fillmore, CA9.0 mi · 16,419 people · home $602,500
- El Rio, CA9.2 mi · 7,037 people · home $638,300
- Camarillo, CA9.4 mi · 70,741 people · home $827,300
- Moorpark, CA11.8 mi · 36,284 people · home $894,300
- Santa Rosa Valley, CA12.0 mi · 3,312 people · home $1,706,200
- Ojai, CA12.2 mi · 7,637 people · home $1,016,200
- San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA12.3 mi · 110,763 people · home $827,300
- Oxnard, CA13.4 mi · 202,063 people · home $652,700
Santa Paula questions
Is Santa Paula, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Santa Paula scores better for retirees than 33% of California towns and quieter than 22%. 14.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.7).
How much does a house cost in Santa Paula?
The median owner-occupied home in Santa Paula is valued at $611,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,294, so homes cost about 7.7 times income. Median rent is $1,736 a month.
What is the weather like in Santa Paula?
July highs average 78.0°F and January lows 45.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Santa Paula get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Paula since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on January 21, 2010. 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)