What it's like to live in Oakland
Oakland is a small city in New Jersey with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Oakland deals with home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
How Oakland compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Oakland
Based on Oakland's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,766
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,320 a year
- 36% of Oakland renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$118,260
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $59,130
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,383/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,383 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $591,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $591,300 · 36% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Bergen County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Bergen County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 84% below US
54 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 347/100k · Oakland Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
30 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 22% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 58% above US
57% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (9 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Oakland's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,383/mo) equals 10% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (22% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Oakland
All New Jersey guides →Moving to Franklin Lakes →
2 mi away · pop. 11,084
Rent $3,230/mo · Income $235,795
Compare with Oakland →Moving to Pompton Lakes →
3 mi away · pop. 11,047
Rent $1,845/mo · Income $124,454
Compare with Oakland →Not sure Oakland is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.