Berkeley vs Oakley
Berkeley, California versus Oakley, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Berkeley and Oakley score about the same overall (49 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Berkeley | Oakley |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $105k | $121k |
| Cost of Living | $76k | $76k |
| Home Value | $1.3M | $611k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.75% | 0.99% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 25.42% | 21.22% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 5.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 48°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 65°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 26.1 in | 12.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 261 days | 284 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 204 days | 110 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 87.1 | 74.2 |
| Air Quality | 37 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 72.6 |
| Violent Crime | 725/100k | 490/100k |
| Property Crime | 5644/100k | 1148/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 121,385 | 43,525 |
| Median Age | 32.5 | 35.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.66 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | D+46 | D+46 |
| White (%) | 51.9% | 45.1% |
| Black (%) | 7.5% | 8.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 12.1% | 32.1% |
| Asian (%) | 20.7% | 7.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.8% | 6.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 43 min |
| Walkability | 15.8/20 | 8.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 12 mi | 35 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.2% | 94.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 120.86 | 34.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
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 Berkeley or Oakley more affordable?
- Oakley has the lower cost of living: its index is $76k, compared with Berkeley's $76k and Oakley's $76k. Median rent is $2k in Berkeley versus $2k in Oakley.
- Is Berkeley or Oakley safer?
- Oakley has the lower violent crime rate. Berkeley reports 725/100k and Oakley reports 490/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Berkeley or Oakley?
- The median home value is $1.3M in Berkeley and $611k in Oakley, so homes are more affordable in Oakley.