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Compare towns

Ojai vs Carpinteria

16 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (2.1× in Ojai) and street grid (+81% in Ojai).

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Ojai, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 7,577 people
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Carpinteria, CAHomes around $1.52MCalifornia · 13,036 people
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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.

OjaiAn outdoors town
Outdoors#32 most trails in CA18 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves Housing$1.15M typical home51% above the CA typical home HealthHealthier than 73%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Ojai →
CarpinteriaHomes around $1.52M
Housing$1.52M typical home99% above the CA typical home SchoolsBetter than 50%of CA districts HealthHealthier than 78%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Carpinteria →
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.

Trails2.1×
Ojai has more miles of trail
Ojai 18.2 miCarpinteria 8.5 mi
Street grid+81%
Ojai has the more walkable street grid
Ojai 57.7Carpinteria 31.8
Rent+22%
Rent runs higher in Carpinteria
Carpinteria $2,377Ojai $1,955
Conserved land+10.3 pts
Ojai has more conserved land
Ojai 13.3%Carpinteria 3%
Property tax bill+18%
Tax bills are bigger in Ojai
Ojai $7,355Carpinteria $6,258
Seasonal homes+8.1 pts
Carpinteria has more second homes
Carpinteria 10.8%Ojai 2.7%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $2,000 more a month in Carpinteria

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.

Ojai$6,740/mo
Typical home $1.15M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.72% · or rent about $1,955/mo · Housing →
Carpinteria$8,740/mo
Typical home $1.52M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.60% · or rent about $2,377/mo · Housing →

The difference: $2,000 a month, about $24,100 a year, between Carpinteria and Ojai.

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.

Report cards

Ojai places higher on 14 of 22 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.

Safety
BOjaiSafer than 63% of U.S. towns C+CarpinteriaSafer than 42% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−OjaiBetter than 47% of districts in the state B−CarpinteriaBetter than 50% of districts in the state
Health
B+OjaiHealthier than 73% of U.S. towns A−CarpinteriaHealthier than 78% of U.S. towns
14Ojai
7Carpinteria

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #32#406 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #184#476 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #508#293 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #443#211 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #420#184 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #186#298 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #241#448 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #115#306

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Ojai’s rankings →

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
OjaiCarpinteria
Snow a year0″0″
January low35°F47°F
July high89°F76°F
Growing season (days)235d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)100th98th
Outdoors & history
OjaiCarpinteria
Trails18 mi9 mi
Conserved land13.3%3%
Settled1921—
National Register places2—
Archive photos184
Famous people born here216
Community
OjaiCarpinteria
Library hours a week53 hrs42 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

16 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OjaiCarpinteriaOjaiCarpinteria
Ojai ↔ Carpinteria16 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.

OjaiCarpinteria
People
Population 7,577Lowest 13,036Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.4%Highest CA: +6.1% +1.7%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 47.3±4.5Highest 25% above CA 44.8±3.9Lowest 18% above CA
Ojai and Carpinteria are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 18.8%±5Lowest CA: 22% 20.1%±3.3Highest CA: 22%
Carpinteria and Ojai are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 26.6%±4Highest CA: 15.7% 24.3%±3.3Lowest CA: 15.7%
Ojai and Carpinteria are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 47.8%Highest CA: 37.1% 44%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±1.7Lowest CA: 7.6% 6.5%±1.9Highest CA: 7.6%
Carpinteria and Ojai are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $82,656±$19kLowest 17% below CA $100,658±$12kHighest about the CA average
Carpinteria and Ojai are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,016,200±$98kLowest 38% above CA $1,043,100±$73kHighest 42% above CA
Carpinteria and Ojai are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,955±$248Lowest 4% below CA $2,377±$149Highest 17% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $7,355Highest 44% above CA $6,258Lowest 22% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 63%±15.8Lowest CA: 55.3% 65%±12.3Highest CA: 55.3%
Carpinteria and Ojai are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.2%Highest CA: 12% 7%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.2%Lowest CA: 55.9% 61.5%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1971Lowest 5 yrs older than CA 1975Highest 1 yr older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 25% below CA 25 minHighest 13% below CA
Work from home 26.7%±8.1Highest CA: 17.2% 16.4%±4Lowest CA: 17.2%
Ojai and Carpinteria are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 17.2%Lowest 17.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 29.3 miHighest 12.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.19Highest 1.12Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (14%)Santa Barbara (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CarpinteriaFew work in Ojai
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 13.3%Highest 3%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 18.2 miHighest 8.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 4.1 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Lowest 13Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.7Highest 31.8Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #508 of 574 in CA#293 of 574 in CA
School district Ojai UnifiedCarpinteria Unified
High school in town Nordhoff HighCarpinteria Senior High
Students per teacherat that high school 18.1Lowest 18.2Highest
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.

Ojai neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ojai’s Town Square.

Carpinteria neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Carpinteria can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ojai and Carpinteria

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Bordering Ojai

+ Compare
Meiners Oaks3,934 people · $721K homes
M
+ Compare
Mira Monte6,888 people · $812K homes

Towns like Ojai

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Sebastopol7,445 people · $846K homes
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Capitola9,689 people · $783K homes
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Healdsburg11,243 people · $950K homes
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Auburn13,768 people · $673K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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