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Compare towns

Carson vs Simi Valley

41 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (26.7× in Simi Valley) and rent (+32% in Simi Valley).

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Carson, CAOne of the healthiest townsCalifornia · 92,871 people
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Simi Valley, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 125,634 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Report cards

Simi Valley places higher on 14 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $340 more a month in Simi Valley

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Carson$4,530/mo
Typical home $786K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.62% · or rent about $1,956/mo · Housing →
Simi Valley$4,860/mo
Typical home $833K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $2,579/mo · Housing →

The difference: $340 a month, about $4,000 a year, between Simi Valley and Carson.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
CarsonSimi Valley
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th94th
Outdoors & history
CarsonSimi Valley
Trails3 mi80 mi
Conserved land2.6%23.7%
Settled19681969
National Register places—3
Archive photos1128
Famous people born here41—
Community
CarsonSimi Valley
Library hours a week40 hrs56 hrs
Colleges in town1—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

41 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Carson ↔ Simi Valley41 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

CarsonSimi Valley
People
Population 92,871Lowest 125,634Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.2%Highest CA: +6.1% +1.7%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 41.7±1Lowest 10% above CA 41.9±0.7Highest 11% above CA
Simi Valley and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.1%±1.3Highest CA: 22% 19.5%±1Lowest CA: 22%
Carson and Simi Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.5%±1.1Highest CA: 15.7% 17.2%±0.9Lowest CA: 15.7%
Carson and Simi Valley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 29.3%Lowest CA: 37.1% 39.1%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.4%±0.8Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.8%±0.6Highest CA: 7.6%
Simi Valley and Carson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $108,703±$4kLowest 10% above CA $122,081±$5kHighest 23% above CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $704,400±$14kLowest 4% below CA $823,800±$10kHighest 12% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,956±$109Lowest 4% below CA $2,579±$87Highest 27% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,361Lowest 15% below CA $5,851Highest 14% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.9%±5.1Lowest CA: 55.3% 63.6%±5.2Highest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 8.7%Highest CA: 12% 6.4%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 74%Highest CA: 55.9% 72.9%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1966Lowest 10 yrs older than CA 1980Highest 4 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 4% below CA 27 minLowest 6% below CA
Work from home 8.7%±0.9Lowest CA: 17.2% 19.1%±1.5Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 6.9%Lowest 18.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 11.3 miLowest 15.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.29Highest 0.57Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (25%)Los Angeles (26%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Simi ValleyFew work in Carson
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.6%Lowest 23.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 3.0 miLowest 80.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.9 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 15Lowest 48Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 88.0Highest 64.2Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #124 of 574 in CA#225 of 574 in CA
School district Magnolia Science Academy 3 District · Compton UnifiedInsight School of California District · Simi Valley Unified
High school in town Carson Senior HighSimi Valley High
Students per teacherat that high school 18.5Lowest 24.2Highest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Carson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Carson’s Town Square.

Simi Valley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Simi Valley’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Carson and Simi Valley

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Carson

Towns like Carson

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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