There are good and bad areas of both Ventura and Oxnard. On the whole though, I'd say the area is great! Ventura (and parts of Oxnard for that matter) can be a bit expensive but you're paying for amazing weather and proximity to the beach.

In Ventura, I'd recommend staying away from Ventura Ave. and the Montalvo area. Those are the areas with the most crime and riff raff, and consequently the least expensive housing. There are some nice places downtown as well as midtown. The east end is also pretty nice but can be kind of far from things depending on where you're working.

In Oxnard you really want to live west of Oxnard Blvd. and inland from Channel Islands blvd. There are some beautiful (and expensive) places on Hollywood Beach and Oxnard Shores and some decent cheaper places on Silverstrand.

I love this area and have lived here all my life (or at least the majority of it so far). The weather is perfect, the proximity to Santa Barbara and Los Angeles is a great benefit, and there's a sizable music scene/community (which is very important to me as a musician).