Demographics of Ventura, California: A Local’s Deep Dive
Ventura, California is a vibrant seaside city of just over 100,000 residents located on the southern California coast in Ventura County. With its scenic beaches, relaxed pace of life, and close proximity to Los Angeles, Ventura has seen its population gradually grow over the last two decades.
Let’s take a deep dive into the key demographic statistics and trends that define the population that calls Ventura home.
Age Structure and Population Pyramids
As of the 2020 census, the median age in Ventura was 39.8, a slight increase from 37.1 in 2010. Ventura has an aging population, but has maintained a healthy age structure.
Population Pyramid Over Time
The population pyramid shows how Ventura’s age structure has evolved from 2010-2020:
We can observe:
- The 65+ age segment has grown as a proportion of the total population
- The 35-54 age range has shrunk slightly
- The under 18 population declined from 2010-2020
This shows an overall aging trend, though Ventura still has a strong workforce-aged population.
Youth Population (under 18)
- In 2020 there were 19,182 residents under 18, making up 18.5% of Ventura’s total population
- This was a decline from 21.4% in 2010, showing Ventura’s aging trends
- For comparison, 23.3% of California’s total population and 22.3% of the US population was under 18 in 2020
So while declining, Ventura still has a sizable segment of young people and families relative to state and national averages.
Racial Composition
Ventura has grown more racially and ethnically diverse over the past decade:
- In 2020, 52.7% of residents identified as white alone, down from 60.4% white alone in 2010
- The Hispanic/Latino population grew from 35.4% to 41.9%
- The Asian population grew from 2.7% to 3.3%
- Those identifying as two or more races grew from 3.4% to 5.3%
This shows Ventura diversifying but still has a majority white population with a large Hispanic/Latino minority group.
Trends Among Major Racial Groups
Here are some key statistics on the largest racial groups living in Ventura as of 2020:
White Alone
- 52.7% of total population
- Median age: 46.3 years old
- More likely to have a bachelor’s degree or higher (41.3%) compared to overall city rates
Hispanic/Latino
- 41.9% of total population
- Median age: 27.3 years old
- Majority of Mexican descent (78.2% of Hispanic/Latino residents)
- Less likely than average Ventura resident to have a bachelor’s degree (12.7%)
Asian Alone
- 3.3% of total population
- Median age: 36.7 years old
- Majority Chinese (1.7% of total city population) and Filipino (0.5%) descent
- Most likely racial group to have bachelor’s degree (51.1%)
This shows some key differences in education levels and median ages across the major racial groups comprising Ventura.
Household Types
Ventura had 39,797 households as of 2020:
- 25.8% had children under 18
- 32.6% were married couple families
- 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present
- 4.7% were non-family households living alone
Ventura has a fairly even mix of family households with and without children compared to state and national averages.
Education Levels
Ventura residents are relatively well-educated:
- 34.3% have a bachelor’s degree or higher, slightly above the national average of 33.1%
- However, just 8.8% have a graduate or professional degree, below the national rate of 13.1%
Here is the full breakdown of Ventura education levels:
Education Level | Percentage |
---|---|
Less than high school diploma | 13.8% |
High school graduate | 24.1% |
Some college or Associate degree | 27.9% |
Bachelor’s degree | 20.6% |
Graduate or professional degree | 8.8% |
So while Ventura trails in advanced post-graduate education, it has relatively high general bachelor’s degree achievement.
Income Levels
Ventura’s median household income was $76,728 in 2020, which was above California’s median of $75,235 but just below the national median of $79,900.
Here is the full distribution of household income levels in Ventura:
- 16.7% have income below $25k/year
- 27.4% have income from $25k-$75k
- 30.9% have income from $75k-$150k
- 25.0% have income above $150k
So Ventura has a strong middle and upper middle-class demographic, with over half of households earning above $75k annually. However, one in six households still fall under the $25k/year mark.
Income Inequality
Ventura has a Gini index measure of income inequality of 0.469 in 2019. This was very similar to California (0.471) but lower than the national income inequality rating of 0.482.
While still high, Ventura has slightly less income inequality compared to the overall United States.
Commuting and Transportation
Given its seaside location and sprawling layout, most Ventura residents rely on cars for transportation:
- 85.5% drive alone to their jobs
- Just 2.3% use public transportation
- 4.2% walk, bike, or use other means to commute
Average commute times are in line with national trends:
- 23.4 minutes average one-way commute time
- On par with California average of 23.6 minutes
So Ventura commuting patterns reflect its geography with heavy car usage and commute times similar to state and national levels.
Growth Trends and Projections
Ventura has experienced steady but modest population growth over the past two decades. Trends include:
- 2000 Population – 100,916
- 2010 Population – 106,433 (+5.5% since 2000)
- 2020 Population – 106,077 (-0.3% since 2010)
The latest census in 2020 showed a slight population decline of 356 residents. However, long-term projections still forecast solid growth ahead:
Population Projections Through 2040
- 2030 – 109,100 (+2.8% from 2020)
- 2040 – 112,600 (+3.3% from 2030)
So while seeing a small pullback in 2020, Ventura is still expected to grow above 110,000 residents by 2030. Much of this will likely come from inland areas developing more dense housing near the urban core.
Coastal towns face physical barriers to growth, so rising housing costs will also spur more people inland. But Ventura should still see steady, if slow, growth in the decade ahead.
Key Takeaways
In this deep dive, we explored Ventura’s demographics using recent census data and projections. Key takeaways include:
- Ventura has an aging population but maintains a healthy age structure
- Racial diversity is increasing, especially among Hispanic/Latino and multi-racial groups
- Household types reflect families both with and without children
- Education levels are high overall but trail in graduate degree rates
- Incomes are above state/national medians but 16% live below poverty lines
- Most people commute via car with average travel times
- Population growth has slowed but should rise over 3% by 2040
So in summary, Ventura has a diverse, educated, and increasingly wealthy population base that skews older but has maintained stability. The city faces housing constraints but should still steadily grow in years ahead.
I hope this comprehensive demographic profile of Ventura has provided a useful overview of the city’s population statistics and trends! Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional questions.
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