Is Thousand Oaks Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Thousand Oaks, California, feels like it’s a thousand miles away from the hustle of city life in Los Angeles, even though it’s only 40 miles away.

The tree-lined streets give way to beautiful mountains and countryside and can also take you to some of the best shopping in Ventura County.

The areas in and around this city have served as movie backdrops since the 1930s.

From The Grapes of Wrath to Bonanza to True Blood to We Bought a Zoo and so many others in between, it’s almost like a mini-Hollywood in Thousand Oaks.

This area is lush with flowers, plants, trees, wild animals, and birds.

It regularly ranks as one of the best cities for families, retiring, and healthy lifestyles.

It’s also just 30 minutes from the mountains to the beaches of Malibu.

It’s also known for being a safe city, and the latest crime statistics are a little mind-boggling.

Let’s investigate.

Warnings & Dangers in Thousand Oaks

Safest Places to Visit in Thousand Oaks

The weather here is generally very mild, so let’s start with the outdoor options.

The Santa Monica Mountains are just to the south of Thousand Oaks.

Visit Paramount Ranch, which is a movie set ready for the next big blockbuster.

The mountains are also a great spot for stargazing at night.

There are 500 miles of trails ready for hiking, mountain bikes, and horses.

The wildlife sighting possibilities here include bears, mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats.

Bob Hope left you a gift here at the Hope Nature Preserve, covering 360 acres.

This is a perfect spot for wildflower viewing in the spring.

Here you’ll also see deer, coyotes, and the occasional gray fox.

The Chumash Indian Museum includes an outdoor area for hiking to a replica Native American village.

This area was hit hard by a wildfire in 2018, so there might be parts of the museum land still blocked off as the land is healing.

For another part of history, check out the Stagecoach Inn Museum.

The hotel on the property was built in 1876, but the museum also includes a historic adobe structure, a blacksmith shop, a nature trail, and a rose garden.

There are more flowers to see in Thousand Oaks, at either the Gardens of the World monument or the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden.

To get in some shopping and grab a nice meal, you’ve got The Promenade at Westlake or Westlake Plaza.

Places to Avoid in Thousand Oaks

The worst neighborhoods in Thousand Oaks would be some of the best neighborhoods in some Los Angeles County cities.

There aren’t any parts of town you need to avoid driving through.

There are older and newer areas, yes, but nothing dangerous.

You do want to avoid relying on public transportation here.

For all the options that are in the L.A. Basin and surrounding areas, Thousand Oaks just has a local bus service and you need to go to other cities to ride the more expansive transportation options.

You’re going to be stuck without a car or a lot of money for rideshares.

The city is too spread out to be easily walkable.

When enjoying the outdoors, avoid feeding animals and trying to get too close for a picture.

While many animals will avoid you, some will get defensive if you get too close.

Avoid wearing anything but hiking boots in the wilderness to protect your ankles and minimize the injury of a potential snake bite.

Safety Tips for Traveling to Thousand Oaks

So... How Safe Is Thousand Oaks Really?

It’s not without crime, but as far as communities go in this region, it’s one of if not the safest areas.

I can’t even remember a town I’ve researched that had only 23 robberies in a year.

The average violent crime rate in the nation is 399 per 100,000 people.

The Thousand Oaks rate is 59 in 100,000.

The average robbery rate in the nation is 79 per 100,000 people.

The Thousand Oaks rate is 18 per 100,000.

The average theft/larceny rate in the nation is 1298 per 100,000 people.

The Thousand Oaks rate is 808 per 100,000.

You’ll find some people here who say there isn’t much to do, but that’s coming from someone who has had the Santa Monica Mountains available daily for years.

A tourist is going to find that more interesting.

If you aren’t an outdoorsy person and don’t like museums and shopping, you’re going to have to leave Thousand Oaks to visit some of the biggest tourist attractions.

The beach is only 20 minutes away, and you’ve got plenty of options.

Those beach cities come with their own set of safety guidelines, so review our other articles before choosing where to spend the day at the beach.

How Does Thousand Oaks Compare?

City	Safety Index
Thousand Oaks	86
Lawrenceville	85
Wamego	83
Honolulu	65
Lafayette	87
Yakima	62
Terre Haute	51
Manchester	60
Cucuta	32
Amsterdam	78
Agra	50
Nazareth	58
Gweru	59

Useful Information

Click here to get an offer for travel insurance

Thousand Oaks Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Average High/Low Temperature

---

California - Safety by City

City	Safety Index
Alameda	86
Alhambra	84
Anaheim	73
Bakersfield	66
Barstow	62
Berkeley	64
Burbank	86
Chino Hills	82
Chula Vista	81
Compton	41
Concord	74
Costa Mesa	83
Daly City	76
El Cajon	86
El Monte	76
Escondido	91
Eureka	87
Fairfield	85
Fontana	68
Fremont	74
Fresno	38
Fullerton	74
Garden Grove	78
Hawthorne	62
Hayward	87
Hemet	65
Huntington Beach	78
Indio	89
Inglewood	68
Irvine	82
Lake Forest	83
Lancaster	64
Livermore	87
Long Beach	63
Los Angeles	56
Merced	92
Milpitas	91
Mission Viejo	85
Modesto	64
Moreno Valley	82
Mountain View	87
Newport Beach	84
Norwalk	79
Oakland	57
Oceanside	85
Oxnard	63
Palm Springs	65
Palmdale	78
Pasadena	78
Pomona	61
Rancho Cucamonga	91
Redding	71
Redlands	86
Redondo Beach	88
Redwood City	85
Rialto	58
Riverside	57
Sacramento	51
Salinas	64
San Bernardino	63
San Diego	67
San Francisco	61
San Jose	58
San Leandro	78
San Luis Obispo	88
San Mateo	84
Santa Ana	71
Santa Barbara	72
Santa Clara	82
Santa Clarita	76
Santa Cruz	94
Santa Monica	64
Santa Rosa	91
Simi Valley	84
South Gate	63
Stockton	38
Sunnyvale	87
Temecula	87
Thousand Oaks	86
Torrance	86
Union City	88
Vallejo	65
Ventura	76
Victorville	63
West Covina	88
Yreka	93