Ventura County benefits from the stability of a diversified economy, enabling it to weather the inevitable ups and downs of economic forces that are out of its control, such as the current housing slide. The county’s economic base has grown more varied and diverse in recent years. Once based primarily on oil and agriculture, the economy has diversified over recent years. Finance, insurance and real estate account for a significant aspect of that diversification, followed by manufacturing and high-tech. Most cities in the county have experienced retail sales growth, but the slowing housing market has had an effect on the real estate and retail industry.