Oakland is a large coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of California. With a population of 436,504 people and 116 associated neighborhoods, Oakland is the eighth largest community in California. Much of the housing stock in Oakland was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country.

Housing costs in Oakland are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in California.

Also of interest is that Oakland has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Of important note, Oakland is also a city of artists. Oakland has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Oakland’s character.

A relatively large number of people in Oakland telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 23.43% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Oakland is a popular destination for single career-starters. One thing that you will notice when you are out and about town is that there is a large population of people who are young, single, educated, and upwardly-mobile career starters out at restaurants, listening to live music, and enjoying other activities. They are a real visible part of the culture of Oakland. This makes Oakland a good place to live for young professionals. With so many people in this demographic, Oakland presents many opportunities for single professionals to enjoy themselves, socialize, and to create lasting relationships.

Oakland is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

In Oakland, however, the average commute to work is quite long. On average, people spend 31.26 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average. One bright side is that local public transit is widely used, so it may be an option to avoid the headache of driving in the heavy traffic by leaving the car at home and taking transit. In addition, the city is also quite pedestrian-friendly, because many neighborhoods are very dense and have amenities close enough together that people find it feasible to get around on foot.

One of the benefits of being a big city like Oakland is having a public transportation system, but in Oakland the transit system is the mode of choice for lots of people getting to and from work every day. You will find many people using the subway for their daily commute, even though other transportation options exist. If you ask these commuters, many will tell you that not having to drive in the snarl of big city traffic is one of main reasons for leaving the car at home, or even not owning a car at all. With so many people taking the subway Oakland benefits from a reduction in air pollution and traffic.

Oakland is one of the most well-educated cities in the nation. 47.87% of adults in Oakland have at least a bachelor's degree. Compare that to the average community in America, which has just 21.84% with a bachelor's degree or higher.

The per capita income in Oakland in 2022 was $58,987, which is upper middle income relative to California, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $235,948 for a family of four. However, Oakland contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Oakland is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Oakland home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. People of Hispanic or Latino origin are the most prevalent group in Oakland, accounting for 28.88% of the city’s residents (people of Hispanic or Latino origin can be of any race). The greatest number of Oakland residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Oakland include German, Irish, English, Italian, and European.

In addition, Oakland has a lot of people living here who were born outside of the US (27.07%).

The most common language spoken in Oakland is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.