Oakland, CA
Census place 0653000 · pop 439,418
Birthplace of the Black Panther Party, founded here in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
1925 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
7257 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$929,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
42.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,592/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
30 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.3% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
49 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
13.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
91.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.92% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
22.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$101,600 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
48.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
27.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is Oakland, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Oakland scores 32/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is violent crime rate. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Oakland, CA?
- Oakland reports 1925 violent crimes per 100k and 7257 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Oakland, CA expensive to live in?
- Oakland has a median home value of $929,900 and typical rent around $2,592/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Oakland, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is violent crime rate (1925/100k) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Oakland, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (27.6%) — 85/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Birthplace of the Black Panther Party, founded here in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.