Living in Oakland, CA

It's elevated — there's no way to sugarcoat a violent crime index of 131 when the national average sits at 100. Property crime is at 145. That said, city-wide averages hide a lot of variation. There are safe, quiet neighborhoods in Oakland where people raise families without much worry. The key is doing granular research: talk to residents, check precinct-level data, and visit at different times of day before signing a lease. FBI UCR numbers.

Housing costs in Oakland are reasonable. Median rent sits at $1,917/month with median household income at $97,369/year — a 23.6% rent-to-income ratio. That's well within the comfort zone that most financial advisors recommend. It's not dirt cheap, but most working households can afford rent here without financial strain. Other costs like groceries and utilities will vary, but the rent picture is solid. Census ACS 2023 data.

Worth considering, yes. At 23 minutes average, the commute in Oakland isn't brutal but it's not trivial either. 47.8% drive alone, 14.5% ride transit, and 23.4% work remotely. Where you live relative to your office will make a bigger difference than the city-wide average suggests.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 31/100, which puts Oakland in the low-risk tier. Earthquake, Wildfire, and Drought are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

The numbers suggest some caution. Oakland's graduation rate is 76.0% with a 21:1 student-teacher ratio — both below where most parents would feel comfortable. That said, there are standout public schools, active magnet programs, and charter options that families swear by. If education is a priority, you'll want to target specific schools and be willing to live in their attendance zones. Don't write off the whole city based on averages.

A bit less than you'd pay in most U.S. cities. The average monthly utility bill in Oakland is around $203 (covering electric, gas, water, sewer), compared to a national average of $230. That $27 monthly savings won't change your life, but it's a nice perk — especially if you're coming from a more expensive market.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 44, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Oakland logs 258 clean-air days annually. PM2.5 is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Higher than average, yes. The total effective tax rate lands around 18.4% when you add up income, property, and sales taxes. Sales tax is 10.3%. High-tax areas often come with better public schools, infrastructure, and services — but that's not guaranteed, and it's cold comfort on payday. If you're moving from a low-tax state like Texas or Florida, brace for a noticeable dip in take-home pay.

Mostly, yes. The system scores 79/100, with 0 health-based violations on record and a "medium" lead risk rating. That's a solid track record. Most residents drink tap water without issues. If you're in an older building with pre-1986 plumbing, a basic filter is a cheap precaution. For detailed contaminant info, check EWG's Tap Water Database.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; water quality compliance data from EPA records and the EWG Tap Water Database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics; utility cost estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.