What it's like to live in Simi Valley
Simi Valley is a mid-size city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Simi Valley deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Simi Valley compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Simi Valley
Based on Simi Valley's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$5,158
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $103,160 a year
- 61% of Simi Valley renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$164,760
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $82,380
- Homes cost 6.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 83% above US
$2,579/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,579 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $823,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $823,800 · 61% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 59% below US
136 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 771/100k · Simi Valley Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 94°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 43°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
40 public schools inside the boundary
There are 40 public schools inside the boundary and 11 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 26:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (12 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Simi Valley's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,579/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Simi Valley
All California guides →Moving to Oak Park →
6 mi away · pop. 13,757
Rent $3,149/mo · Income $163,085
Compare with Simi Valley →Moving to Moorpark →
7 mi away · pop. 35,854
Rent $2,559/mo · Income $148,480
Compare with Simi Valley →Moving to Agoura Hills →
8 mi away · pop. 19,721
Rent $3,218/mo · Income $171,302
Compare with Simi Valley →Moving to Thousand Oaks →
9 mi away · pop. 125,205
Rent $2,664/mo · Income $135,603
Compare with Simi Valley →Not sure Simi Valley is the one?
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