Oakland, CA

City in Alameda County, CA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

439,418

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

37.9

years ∙ half population younger than 37.9, half older

Diversity Index

77.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

27.5%

foreign-born population

72.5%Native

27.5% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Oakland is a city within Alameda County, California, United States.

Location

City in Alameda County, CA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC37.769846° N, 122.225690° W

DMS37° 46′ 11.45″ N, 122° 13′ 32.48″ W

Population Density & area

7,847/sq mi (3,033/km²)

Total Area

78.1 sq mi (202.1 km²)

Land Area

56 sq mi (144.9 km²) · 71.7%

Water Area

22.1 sq mi (57.2 km²) · 28.3%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.6% male

Male 49.6%

Female 50.4%

males per 100 females

Oakland 98.3

Alameda County 98.6

California 99.8

Nativity

27.5%

foreign-born population

72.5%Native

27.5% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Oakland 27.5%

Alameda County 34.7%

California 27%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

37.9

years ∙ half population younger than 37.9, half older

Oakland

37.9

Alameda County

California

37.9

Dependency ratio

50.5

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Oakland 50.5

Alameda County 54.3

California 60.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Oakland	Alameda County	California
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	18.9%	19.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	66.4%	64.8%	62.3%
Senior (65+)	14.7%	15.4%	15.7%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	50.5	54.3	60.4
Child dependency ratio	28.4	30.5	35.2
Old-age dependency ratio	22.1	23.8	25.1

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

27.8%

Black

19.7%

Asian

15.7%

Hispanic

28.7%

Other

8.1%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

77.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Oakland 77.2%

Alameda County 75.1%

California 69.6%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Oakland population

	Oakland	Alameda County	California
Hispanic or Latino	28.7%	23.4%	40.2%
Mexican	18.6%	16.2%	32.3%
Puerto Rican	0.6%	0.7%	0.6%
Cuban	0.3%	0.2%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	9.2%	6.3%	7%
Not Hispanic or Latino	71.3%	76.6%	59.8%
One race	64.7%	71%	55.4%
White	27.8%	27.4%	33.8%
Black or African American	19.7%	9.3%	5.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.3%	0.2%	0.3%
Asian	15.7%	32.7%	15.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.4%	0.7%	0.3%
Some Other Race	0.9%	0.6%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	6.6%	5.6%	4.4%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

53.8% family

Family 53.8%

Non family 46.2%

% family households

Oakland 53.8%

Alameda County 65.3%

California 67.8%

Average household size

2.45

persons per household

Oakland

2.45

Alameda County

2.7

California

2.84

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Oakland population

	Oakland	Alameda County	California
Total households	176,584	598,246	13,548,091
Average houshold size	2.45	2.7	2.84
Family households	94,915	390,699	9,191,176
Average family size	3.24	3.28	3.41
Married couple family	62,318	296,397	6,557,184
Other families	32,597	94,302	2,633,992
Male householder	10,298	29,453	857,732
Female householder	22,299	64,849	1,776,260
Non-family households	81,669	207,547	4,356,915
One-person households	60,610	152,739	3,289,307
Male householder	28,168	68,647	1,493,062
Senior (65+) living alone	7,055	19,523	460,668
Female householder	32,442	84,092	1,796,245
Senior (65+) living alone	11,404	36,199	886,142
Other living arrangements	21,059	54,808	1,067,608

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

191,713

housing units

Oakland 191,713

Alameda County 637,212

California 14,644,735

Occupancy status

92.1% occupied

Occupied 92.1%

Vacant 7.9%

vacancy rate

Oakland 7.9%

Alameda County 6.1%

California 7.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

46.3%

Single family houses

46.3%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

53.2%

Mobile homes

0.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1953

Half of houses were built before 1953, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

37.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

29.6%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

20.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

13.1%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Oakland	Alameda County	California
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	4.3	4.8	5
1–3 rooms	32.8%	25.2%	21%
4–6 rooms	50.2%	52.1%	54.7%
7+ rooms	17%	22.7%	24.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	9.1%	5.5%	5%
1 bedroom	23.1%	16.1%	13.2%
2 bedrooms	33.3%	28.2%	26.9%
3 bedrooms	23.2%	29.3%	32.8%
4+ bedrooms	11.2%	20.8%	22.1%
At a glance
Median year built	1953	1969	1976
Total housing units	191,713	637,212	14,644,735

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

42.3% owners

Renter-occupied 57.7%

Owner-occupied 42.3%

homeownership rate

Oakland 42.3%

Alameda County 54.4%

California 55.9%

Average household size

2.69

Owner-occupied

2.27

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Oakland 2.69

Alameda County 2.87

California 2.95

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Oakland	Alameda County	California
Total occupied units	176,584	598,246	13,548,091
Year moved in
2020 or later	27.1%	24.7%	23.4%
2010 to 2019	40.5%	39.7%	41.2%
2000 to 2009	15.5%	16.2%	17%
1999 or earlier	16.9%	19.4%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	92.2%	92.7%	91.8%
1.01 to 1.50	4.2%	4.6%	5%
1.51 or more	3.6%	2.7%	3.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	16.2%	10%	7.1%
1 vehicle	41.6%	33.7%	30.7%
2 vehicles	29.3%	35.6%	36.3%
3 or more vehicles	13%	20.6%	25.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas	63%	66.9%	64.4%
Electricity	32%	29.6%	29.5%
Solar	0.5%	0.7%	1.2%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.1%	0.1%	0.2%
All other fuels	0.6%	0.4%	1.6%
No fuel used	3.8%	2.2%	3%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.6%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.1%	0.8%	1.2%
No telephone service available	0.7%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$929,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Oakland

$929,900

Alameda County

$1,090,100

California

$734,700

Housing Cost Burden

38%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

38%

Owners without a mortgage

18.3%

Renters

51.1%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Oakland	Alameda County	California
Property value
Median Value	$929,900	$1,090,100	$734,700
Under $100,000	1.9%	2.2%	4.2%
$100,000 - $200,000	1.1%	1.5%	2.7%
$200,000 - $300,000	1.5%	1.2%	4.3%
$300,000 - $500,000	8%	4.1%	17.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	43.6%	34%	42.1%
$1,000,000 and more	44%	56.9%	29.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	72.7%	70.3%	67.4%
Without a mortgage	27.3%	29.7%	32.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$3,684	$3,810	$2,946
Without a mortgage	$1,057	$1,000	$829
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,979	$2,357	$2,036

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

48.7%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Oakland 48.7%

Alameda County 52.2%

California 37.1%

Adults without a high school diploma

15.2%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Oakland 15.2%

Alameda County 11.1%

California 15.2%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

92,350

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

6.4%

K–12

63.2%

College / Undergraduate

21%

Graduate / Professional

9.4%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

40%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Oakland

40%

Alameda County

55%

California

46.8%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Oakland	Alameda County	California
Total enrolled (age 3+)	92,350	390,903	9,917,839
Nursery / preschool	6.4%	6.4%	5%
K–12	63.2%	60.6%	64.9%
Kindergarten	5.1%	4.8%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	18.4%	18.1%	18.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	18.3%	18%	19.9%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.5%	19.6%	21.5%
College or graduate school	30.4%	33.1%	30.1%
College, undergraduate	21%	24.5%	24.3%
Graduate, professional school	9.4%	8.5%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	40%	55%	46.8%
School type
Public school	80.1%	83%	85%
Private school	19.9%	17%	15%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

325,864

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

HS graduate

15.5%

Some college no degree

15.1%

Associates degree

5.5%

Bachelors degree

26.7%

Graduate or professional degree

22%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

48.9% · 51.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

53.6% · 46.4%

HS graduate

54.1% · 45.9%

Some college no degree

48.9% · 51.1%

Associates degree

44.6% · 55.4%

Bachelors degree

49.1% · 50.9%

Graduate or professional degree

45.5% · 54.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Oakland	Alameda County	California
Population (25+)	325,864	1,192,437	27,073,960
Less than 9th grade	9.2%	6.5%	8.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	6%	4.6%	6.5%
High school diploma or GED	15.5%	15.4%	20.5%
Some college, no degree	15.1%	14.8%	19.3%
Associate's degree	5.5%	6.3%	7.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	48.7%	52.2%	37.1%
Bachelor's degree	26.7%	28.8%	22.7%
Graduate or professional	22%	23.4%	14.4%
High School or higher	84.8%	88.8%	84.7%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$65,791

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$32,831

HS graduate

$38,351

Some college or associates

$48,945

Bachelors degree

$89,138

Graduate or professional degree

$115,319

Poverty Rate

5.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

24.8%

HS graduate

18.9%

Some college or associates

15.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

5.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Oakland	Alameda County	California
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$65,791	$76,263	$56,395
Less than high school graduate	$32,831	$35,494	$32,480
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$38,351	$44,606	$41,382
Some college or associate's degree	$48,945	$56,022	$50,157
Bachelor's degree	$89,138	$96,184	$80,933
Graduate or professional degree	$115,319	$132,502	$111,188
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	24.8%	18.9%	20%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	18.9%	13.3%	13.9%
Some college or associate's degree	15.1%	10%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	5.2%	4.1%	5%

Insights for Oakland, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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