Thousand Oaks is a city located in Ventura County, California. As of the 2020 census, the population of Thousand Oaks was 126,871 making it the third-largest city in Ventura County. The city has seen steady population growth over the past several decades.
Population Information
According to the Wikipedia page for Thousand Oaks, the city had a population of 117,005 as of 2010. By 2020, the population had grown to 126,871 residents. Thousand Oaks has an area of 55.997 sq mi and a population density of 2,295.8 inhabitants per square mile.
Thousand Oaks racial makeup is predominately white, with Hispanic/Latino being the largest minority group. The detailed demographics according to the 2020 census are:
- White: 80,767 (63.7%)
- Hispanic/Latino: 19,413 (15.3%)
- Asian: 12,872 (10.1%)
- Two or more races: 5,620 (4.4%)
- Black: 2,051 (1.6%)
- Native American: 496 (0.4%)
- Pacific Islander: 145 (0.1%)
The median age in Thousand Oaks is 40.8 years old. The gender breakdown is 50.6% female and 49.4% male.
Economy and Major Employers
Some of the major industries and employers in Thousand Oaks are:
- Amgen – Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals (5,570 employees)
- Conejo Valley Unified School District (2,043 employees)
- Los Robles Health System (1,795 employees)
- Anthem Blue Cross (1,200 employees)
- Skyworks Solutions – Semiconductor company (1,100 employees)
- SAGE Publications – Academic publishing (500 employees)
- California Lutheran University (430 employees)
- City of Thousand Oaks (394 employees)
- Verizon Wireless – Telecommunications (390 employees)
- Vons – Grocery store chain (350 employees)
Other major private sector employers include Baxter Bioscience, Bank of America, BMW, Dean Witter Reynolds, Volkswagen, Audi, General Dynamics Corporation, AFLAC, Teledyne Technologies, and Bax Global.
The largest employers specifically in healthcare and biotech/pharmaceuticals are Amgen, Baxter Bioscience, Biogen, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Allergan and Skyworks Solutions.
Points of Interest and Local Attractions
Some of the major points of interest and attractions in Thousand Oaks include:
- Gardens of the World – Botanical gardens with themed gardens representing different countries.
- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area – Outdoor recreation including hiking and mountain biking trails.
- The Oaks Mall – Largest shopping mall in Ventura County with over 150 shops and restaurants.
- Toppers Pizza Place – Local pizzeria featured on Food Network’s Man vs. Food.
- California Lutheran University – Private liberal arts university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
- Conejo Valley Botanic Garden – 33 acre garden with over 1,700 plant species.
- Stagecoach Inn Museum – Museum featuring 19th century inn and stagecoach stop.
- American Radio Archive – Museum with exhibits on the history of radio broadcasting.
Sports Teams and Entertainment
The main sports team representing Thousand Oaks is the Los Angeles Rams NFL team which holds its pre-season training camp at California Lutheran University in the city. The Rams have held training camp in Thousand Oaks since 2016 after relocating back to Los Angeles from St. Louis.
For additional entertainment options, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza has two theaters – the 1,800 seat Fred Kavli Theatre and the 750 seat Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre. These venues host concerts, Broadway shows, dance performances, comedy acts and other events year-round.
The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza website can be found here: https://www.civicartsplaza.com/