CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

34.25° N · 119.16° W · GEOID 0622370

El Rio

Ventura County, California · part of the Oxnard, CA metro

CaliforniaEl Rio, CAEl RioEl Rio

The short answer

El Rio is home to 6,368 people. Median household income is $72,598 a year and median rent is $2,089 a month, 34.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $638,300, about 8.8x annual median household income.

What sets El Rio apart is how far household money goes. The median rent takes 34.5% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 98% of places its size. Also notable: The median home costs 8.8 years of the median household's income, more than in 97% of places its size.

2OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

El Rio scores better than 2% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 586th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%2
Economy 20%22
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%34
Education 10%5
Commute 10%61
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,089
53% above the median place
Median household income
$72,598
10% below the median place
Median home value
$638,300
100% above the median place
Unemployment
10.4%
114% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about El Rio

  • How it is changingHousing has become less affordable here. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, the median rent went from 32.5% to 34.5% of the median household's income, and the median home from 7.5 to 8.8 years of income. Among the 25 places most like it, the rent share fell 1.8 points on average, so it worsened faster here.
01

Moving to El Rio

Ventura County loses about 5.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in24,951
Moved out28,912
Net−3,961

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$100K
Leavers$96K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Ventura County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Ventura County report $100,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $95,700.
Income you would need
$83,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,089 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,316 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $638,300.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 5.9% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Commerce, CA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving out7
$95,713
36% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
3.5%
39% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureEl RioAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure3.5%39% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-5.6below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$100,30742% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$95,71336% above
02

What it costs to live here

71% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 93% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.

El Rio34.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$83,560
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
34.5%
69% above the median place
Home price to income
8.8x
131% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
34%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$48,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in El Rio, $2,089 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like El Rio, but easier on the budget

Places that match El Rio on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Commerce, CA9124.1% vs 34.5%$8,900Compare
South Monrovia Island, CA9020.8% vs 34.5%$32,700Compare
Citrus, CA9027.2% vs 34.5%$25,500Compare
San Fernando, CA8925.3% vs 34.5%$12,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in El Rio.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to El Rio? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
71.3%
41% above the median place
Median year built1
1956
1% below the median place
Property tax rate1
0.6%
37% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureEl RioAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,08953% above
Rent to income134.5%69% above
Property tax rate10.6%37% below
Home price to income18.8x131% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure110.510% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,42450% above
HUD area median income4County figure$135,60026% above
Property tax paid (median)1$3,60811% above
Median home value1$638,300100% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.0%39% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure44.1%14% below
Homeownership155.8%16% below
Renters paying 30%+171.3%41% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,31624% above
Vacant homes1County figure5.2%26% below
Median year built119561% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
10.4%
114% above the median place
Income per person1
$25,928
35% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home5.9% −52%
Poverty rate20.1% +86%
Mean commute23 min −6%
Median household income$72,598 −10%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEl RioAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$72,59810% below
Income per person1$25,92835% below
Unemployment110.4%114% above
Average annual pay6County figure$72,1489% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.4%35% below
Jobs6County figure335,864123% above
Poverty rate120.1%86% above
Mean commute123 min6% below
Works from home15.9%52% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Households average 3.91 people, larger than than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Household size1
3.9
56% above the median place
High school or higher1
69.6%
25% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
12.3%
62% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad29.6% 3.4×
Median age33.9 −13%
No health insurance11.5% +80%
Homes with broadband90.3% −2%
All 8 people measures
MeasureEl RioAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16,3685725th largest
Median age133.913% below
Bachelor's or higher112.3%62% below
High school or higher169.6%25% below
Household size13.956% above
Born abroad129.6%236% above
No health insurance111.5%80% above
Homes with broadband190.3%2% below
05

Life in El Rio

The nearest National Park Service site is Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, about 33 miles away.

45 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents3.1 −69%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k3.1 3.6×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −95%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.0 4.7×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area 33 miles
  • Channel Islands National Park 49 miles
  • Cesar E. Chavez National Monument 76 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.2 −3%
Shops30.5 +1%
Arts, recreation and fitness7.6 +85%
Doctors' offices and clinics29.9 +48%
Child care centers2.5 +9%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
33.1
7% above the median place
Students per teacher12
22.7
47% above the median place
Public school students12
147,841
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureEl RioAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure236above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure147,841above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure22.747% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.23% below
Shops per 10k8County figure30.51% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure7.685% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure29.948% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.59% above
Parks per 10k93.169% below
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k93.1261% above
Named paths and bike trails90.195% below
Transit stops per sq mi91.0371% above
Nearest National Park Service site1033.17% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings11County figure45246% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Hurricane risk is 0.0, below the median place (median 70.7).

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached El Rio. Larger places are fetched first.

Hurricane risk14
0.0
below the median place (median 70.7)
Wildfire risk14
99.8
63% above the median place
Natural hazard risk14
99.4
8% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureEl RioAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure84°F3% below
January average low13County figure38°F51% above
Average temperature13County figure58°F6% above
Annual precipitation13County figure20.3 in54% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure99.48% above
Hurricane risk14County figure0.0below (median 70.7)
Tornado risk14County figure42.448% below
Wildfire risk14County figure99.863% above
Heat wave risk14County figure85.85% below
Median air quality index15County figure5016% above
Good air days15County figure52.1%24% below
08

El Rio in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 35% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 35% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, El Rio does better than 2% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 32%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,089/mo (2024)$2,670/mo$2,190 to $3,250/mo+4.2%
Median household income$72,598 (2024)$92,500$78,000 to $109,000+4.1%
Median home value$638,300 (2024)$905,000$657,000 to $1,246,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 9.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 8.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like El Rio

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Watsonville, CA$1,889$78,393Compare
San Pablo, CA$2,018$79,478Compare
Bay Point, CA$2,063$82,565Compare
Paramount, CA$1,875$75,250Compare
Paramount, CABay Point, CASan Pablo, CAWatsonville, CAEl Rio, CAEl RioSan PabloParamountEl RioSan PabloParamount

Places built like El Rio

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how El Rio performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
El Rio, CA34.5%3.0%/yrn/a
West Modesto, CA28.0%10.2%/yrn/aCompare
Garden Acres, CA24.4%9.9%/yrn/aCompare
South Monrovia Island, CA20.8%10.4%/yrn/aCompare
Commerce, CA24.1%10.2%/yr-5.5%Compare
Citrus, CA27.2%5.6%/yrn/aCompare
Interlaken, CA21.3%7.7%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is El Rio a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 2 out of 100, better than 2% of the places we rate and 586th of 654 in California. Housing has become less affordable here. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, the median rent went from 32.5% to 34.5% of the median household's income, and the median home from 7.5 to 8.8 years of income. Among the 25 places most like it, the rent share fell 1.8 points on average, so it worsened faster here. On cost, space and class size it scores 10 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is El Rio expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 34.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $638,300.

What salary do you need to live in El Rio?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $83,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to El Rio?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Watsonville, CA, San Pablo, CA, Bay Point, CA and Paramount, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares El Rio with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for El Rio itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/el-rio-california

Citytistics. “El Rio, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/el-rio-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.