Alameda vs Oakland
Alameda, California versus Oakland, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Alameda and Oakland score about the same overall (46 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Alameda | Oakland |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $130k | $94k |
| Cost of Living | $76k | $76k |
| Home Value | $1.1M | $884k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.77% | 0.83% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.99% | 24.01% |
| Unemployment | 5.1% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 63°F | 64°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 22.6 in | 24.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 261 days | 261 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 225 days | 226 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 94.3 | 87.7 |
| Air Quality | 41 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 73.6 | 96.3 |
| Violent Crime | 997/100k | 3171/100k |
| Property Crime | 4313/100k | 6475/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 77,565 | 437,825 |
| Median Age | 40.6 | 37.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.68 | 0.78 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | D+46 | D+46 |
| White (%) | 41.3% | 29.0% |
| Black (%) | 6.8% | 21.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 12.1% | 26.6% |
| Asian (%) | 31.1% | 15.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.7% | 7.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 33 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 14.7/20 | 14.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 5 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.0% | 89.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 146.84 | 35.08 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Alameda or Oakland more affordable?
- Oakland has the lower cost of living: its index is $76k, compared with Alameda's $76k and Oakland's $76k. Median rent is $2k in Alameda versus $2k in Oakland.
- Is Alameda or Oakland safer?
- Alameda has the lower violent crime rate. Alameda reports 997/100k and Oakland reports 3171/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Alameda or Oakland?
- The median home value is $1.1M in Alameda and $884k in Oakland, so homes are more affordable in Oakland.