The Town FilesOakland, California
City in Alameda County · population 440,646 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $929,900
- Household income
- $101,600
- Jan low / Jul high
- 45° / 72°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 37.9
Oakland is a city of 440,646 people in Alameda County, California. The median home is worth $929,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more walkable than 99% of California towns, better transit than 99% of California towns, hipper than 98% of California towns.
How Oakland ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Oakland is worth $929,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.2 times the median household income of $101,600, which is more affordable than 15% of California towns. Median rent is $1,979 a month. 42.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Oakland | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $929,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,979 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $101,600 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 9.2× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 42.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1953 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.6% | — |
Who lives in Oakland
| People | Oakland | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 18.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.4% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 27.5% | — |
| Work from home | 26.5% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 29.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in Oakland
July highs average 71.6°F and January lows 45.1°F. About 22.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Oakland since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on December 17, 1992 about 5.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 17, 1992.
Severe weather in Alameda County since 1996
Alameda County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3428: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Alameda County
Alameda County had 790,358 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $98,026 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Oakland itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.
Public schools in Oakland
121 public schools with 48,300 students, about 20.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Technical High | 9-12 | 1,813 | 18.7 |
| Oakland High | 9-12 | 1,525 | 18.2 |
| Skyline High | 9-12 | 1,432 | 17.0 |
| Fremont High | 9-12 | 1,186 | 17.4 |
| Yu Ming Charter (charter) | K-8 | 865 | 20.1 |
| Edna Brewer Middle | 6-8 | 791 | 19.3 |
| Coliseum College Prep Academy | 6-12 | 780 | 14.7 |
| Oakland School for the Arts (charter) | 6-12 | 780 | 23.6 |
| Elmhurst United Middle | 6-8 | 752 | 17.1 |
| Lodestar: A Lighthouse Community Charter Public (charter) | K-12 | 739 | 16.1 |
| Castlemont High | 9-12 | 698 | 16.2 |
| Lincoln Elementary | K-5 | 687 | 25.4 |
Towns near Oakland
- Alameda, CA2.7 mi · 78,280 people · home $1,235,700
- Piedmont, CA3.6 mi · 11,270 people · home $2,000,001
- San Leandro, CA5.7 mi · 91,008 people · home $844,200
- Emeryville, CA6.3 mi · 12,905 people · home $604,800
- Moraga, CA7.7 mi · 16,870 people · home $1,663,200
- Berkeley, CA7.7 mi · 124,321 people · home $1,413,900
- Ashland, CA8.0 mi · 23,823 people · home $775,800
- San Lorenzo, CA8.1 mi · 29,581 people · home $847,100
Oakland questions
Is Oakland, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Oakland scores better for retirees than 20% of California towns and quieter than 16%. 14.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.9).
How much does a house cost in Oakland?
The median owner-occupied home in Oakland is valued at $929,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $101,600, so homes cost about 9.2 times income. Median rent is $1,979 a month.
What is the weather like in Oakland?
July highs average 71.6°F and January lows 45.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 22.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Oakland get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Oakland since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on December 17, 1992. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)