California is one of the most expensive places in the world to live. That is not changing anytime soon. Which means if we want the people who grew up here to be able to stay here, and if we want our kids to actually have that option when they graduate, we have to be intentional about attracting the kind of employers that pay the kind of wages that make it possible. That is not a nice-to-have. That is a fundamental responsibility of local leadership.
Thousand Oaks is in a strong position. Our median household income is well above the California average. We have the largest concentration of bioscience employment in Ventura County. And our commercial vacancy rates have outperformed the region through two economic cycles. But none of that is guaranteed. It has to be protected and built on.
Amgen is investing $600 million here. That is not just jobs. That is a signal to every other employer watching that this city is serious, stable, and worth betting on. That kind of investment does not happen in cities with broken permitting systems or hostile business environments. It happens here because we have worked to make it happen.
What's been driving it.
We moved over-the-counter permits fully online, cutting the time and cost it takes for local businesses to get up and running. When an employer wants to take a vacant or run-down building and get their team into it fast, the permitting process should not be the thing standing in the way. We streamlined it. We have actively recruited anchor employers in bioscience, healthcare, and professional services. The kind of companies that create high-paying jobs and signal to others that this city is worth betting on.
What's next.
The goal is a diversified local economy that is not dependent on one employer or one sector. High paying jobs in industries that are growing, close enough to home that the people who grew up here can actually afford to stay. We are working to attract next-generation employers while supporting the small businesses that make Thousand Oaks a community, not just a zip code. The next generation deserves to have the same choice we had. That does not happen by accident.