Temecula vs Thousand Oaks
The short version
- Temecula is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Thousand Oaks area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $679,700 in Temecula and $991,600 in Thousand Oaks.
- Households earn more in Thousand Oaks ($135,603 vs $121,063 median).
- Temecula has more scorching days: 60 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 9.
- Temecula is growing faster: +4.4% since 2020 vs -3.7%.
- Commutes are shorter in Thousand Oaks (25 vs 36 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Temecula, CA | Thousand Oaks, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 114,865 | 122,230 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.4% | -3.7% |
| People per square mile | 3,090 | 2,212 |
| Median age | 36.7 | 44.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 51% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $121,063 | $135,603 |
| Median home value | $679,700 | $991,600 |
| Home value to income | 5.6× | 7.3× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,347 | $2,664 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 106.4 | 110.5 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 129.3 | 171.1 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $79,800 | $82,900 |
| Homeowners | 68% | 71% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 36.3 | 24.6 |
| Work from home | 19% | 24% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.7% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% | 8.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 68° / 47° | 68° / 45° |
| July high / low | 87° / 60° | 78° / 60° |
| Precipitation per year | 15 in | 12 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 60 | 9 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 9 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.9 | 99.4 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 7% | 52% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.8% | -1.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.9% | +28.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Temecula: October to June. Thousand Oaks: January to December.
Full monthly tables: Temecula weather by month and Thousand Oaks weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $79,800 in Temecula and $82,900 in Thousand Oaks. Moving from Temecula to Thousand Oaks, you would need about $77,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Temecula and Thousand Oaks
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Temecula and Thousand Oaks.
Which would you pick?
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