Cost of Living in Oakland, California
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Oakland, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 440,838
- Median household income
- $102,235
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 115.6
- Unemployment rate
- 6.3%
Is Oakland a good place to live?
Oakland is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 121 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Oakland keeps $8,934 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living16% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$2,255 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$2,729 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Oakland
Prices in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area run 16% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 95% above the US average.
- Housing95% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)8% above the US average
- Utilities73% above the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)6% above the US average
- All items16% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $2,255 | $27,060 |
| Food | $535 | $6,420 |
| Transportation | $423 | $5,076 |
| Healthcare | $374 | $4,488 |
| Utilities | $449 | $5,388 |
| Total before taxes | $4,036 | $48,432 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Oakland | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,038 | $2,088 |
| 1 bedroom | $2,255 | $2,290 |
| 2 bedrooms | $2,760 | $2,805 |
| 3 bedrooms | $3,529 | $3,592 |
| 4 bedrooms | $4,179 | $4,250 |
Living in Oakland
How Oakland compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Oakland | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $102,235 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $884,000 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $2,008 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 56.4% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 51.4% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 38.6 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 31.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 19.6% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 15.5% | 3.7% |
Home internet
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Oakland, led by Xfinity, Unwired Ltd, AT&T, T-Mobile. Fiber reaches 81.3% of homes and 95.4% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Oakland
Pros and cons of living in Oakland
Pros
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $8,934 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 121 of 178 large cities.
- Usable public transit. 15.5% of commuters take public transit, against 3.7% nationally.
- Higher incomes. Median household income is $102,235, against $81,604 nationally.
- Remote-work friendly. 19.6% of workers work from home, against 13.3% nationally.
Cons
- Higher cost of living. Prices are 16% above the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $2,008 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 6.3%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Pricey homes to buy. The median home is worth $884,000, against $360,600 nationally.
What your job keeps in Oakland
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $74,260
- Federal income tax
- −$7,507
- Payroll taxes
- −$6,646
- State income tax
- −$2,729
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$27,060
- Everyday costs
- −$21,384
a year, or $745 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $212,500 | $91,394 |
| Software engineer | $186,640 | $74,968 |
| Registered nurse | $186,610 | $74,950 |
| Project manager | $135,040 | $45,037 |
| Accountant | $110,730 | $30,777 |
| Teacher | $99,553 | $24,098 |
| Carpenter | $89,200 | $17,913 |
| Truck driver | $66,450 | $4,161 |
| Medical assistant | $59,790 | −$637 |
| Nursing assistant | $56,080 | −$3,347 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Oakland on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $10,014
- Civil engineer $42,220
- Data scientist $65,290
- Dental assistant $2,697
- Dental hygienist $51,806
- Dentist $84,812
- Diesel mechanic $13,670
- Electrician $20,081
- Financial analyst $42,426
- Firefighter $32,551
- HVAC technician $11,513
- Licensed practical nurse $20,966
- Lineman $46,273
- Mechanical engineer $60,242
- Nurse practitioner $95,446
- Occupational therapist $46,036
- Paralegal $14,823
- Paramedic $14,261
- Pharmacist $69,506
- Pharmacy technician −$81
- Physical therapist $49,045
- Physician assistant $73,531
- Plumber $11,144
- Police officer $43,282
- Radiologic technologist $48,930
- Respiratory therapist $42,253
- Social worker $13,673
- Speech-language pathologist $42,618
- Veterinarian $88,607
- Welder $2,648
Compare Oakland with other cities
Compare Oakland with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Oakland
3 licensed interstate movers are based in Oakland, and 45 more elsewhere in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Oakland, CA a good place to live?
Oakland is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 121 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $74,260 and keeps $8,934 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Oakland?
Prices in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area are 16% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $2,255 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,782 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Oakland?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $60,700 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area earns $74,260.
What is the average rent in Oakland?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $2,038 for a studio, $2,255 for a 1-bedroom and $2,760 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Oakland at $2,008 a month (2024).
Does Oakland have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $74,260, California state income tax comes to about $2,729 a year. Oakland has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Oakland?
7 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Oakland, led by Xfinity, Unwired Ltd, AT&T, T-Mobile. 81.3% of homes can get fiber and 95.4% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate