Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Oakland

You think about moving to Oakland?

Great! However, make sure to check out all the pros and cons of living in Oakland in this article first to get more information on what living in this city really looks like before making your final decision in this regard.

Living in Oakland – Overview

Advantages of Living in Oakland

1. People in Oakland are laid-back
2. People are welcome from every part of the world
3. Easy to socialize in Oakland
4. Good public infrastructure in Oakland
5. You will find most things for daily life within walking distance
6. Good doctors and hospitals in Oakland
7. Many big corporations to work for
8. You can make really good money in Oakland
9. Pretty low unemployment rate for highly-qualified people
10. Oakland is directly located at the coast
11. You can spend your time at the beach during lunch break
12. Mountains are not that far away
13. Many leisure activities to choose from in Oakland
14. Oakland is a pet-friendly city
15. You don’t necessarily need a car
16. Oakland is a bike-friendly city
17. You can meet people from all over the world
18. Many great foods to try in Oakland
19. Oakland has a decent art scene
20. You can meet many like-minded people
21. Oakland is a great place for tech guys and gals
22. Decent nightlife in Oakland
23. Good schools and colleges in Oakland
24. Proximity to San Francisco makes it even more attractive

People in Oakland are laid-back

One advantage of living in Oakland is that people are really laid-back and friendly.

They are also pretty outgoing and will have an open ear for your problems and will also be eager to solve them if you are kind and respectful enough.

People are welcome from every part of the world

Oakland is also a great place to live since people from all parts of the world are welcome and the city therefore attracts highly-qualified people from all over the world and you can therefore have pretty interesting conversations on a regular basis.

Easy to socialize in Oakland

Since people in Oakland are friendly and outdoing, you will also have an easy time socializing and will find many new friends within a rather short period of time, at least if you are open and friendly yourself and also know how to behave.

Good public infrastructure in Oakland

Another upside to living in Oakland is that you will find pretty good public infrastructure.

In fact, you will just find everything you need to live a happy life and don’t have to drive to other regions in this regard.

You will find most things for daily life within walking distance

You will also find most things for daily life at almost every corner and therefore don’t have to walk or drive long distances for getting those things as would be the case if you lived in a small town.

Good doctors and hospitals in Oakland

Another benefit of living in Oakland is that you will have many good doctors and hospitals to choose from and in case of a medical emergency, you can make sure that you and your loved ones get the best medical support possible.

Many big corporations to work for

Oakland is also one of the main cities in Silicon Valley and there are many big corporations to work for.

If you are a tech guy, you will almost have freedom of choice regarding whom you want to work for and can also talk to many like-minded people in your leisure.

You can make really good money in Oakland

Due to the presence of many big tech companies, you can also make really good money in Oakland and in the surrounding area, at least if you are well-educated and can also provide enough value.

Pretty low unemployment rate for highly-qualified people

Oakland is a great place to live for highly-qualified people and if you hold a decent degree, chances are that you will find a well-paying job rather quickly and that you don’t have to worry about getting unemployed anytime soon while people living in Detroit have to worry much more in this regard.

Oakland is directly located at the coast

Another advantage of moving to Oakland is that the city is directly located at the coast and that you can therefore spend lots of time with watersports or other hobbies you can do at the beach.

You can spend your time at the beach during lunch break

Most people will also be envious of the fact that you can even spend your lunch breaks at the beach and relax from your stressful workday so that you can reload your batteries for the stressful things yet to come in the future.

Mountains are not that far away

Moving to Oakland can also make quite a lot of sense if you love the mountains and want to go skiing or hiking since the mountains are not too far away and you can therefore enjoy mountains as well as beautiful beaches on a regular basis.

Many leisure activities to choose from in Oakland

Since you can enjoy many different landscapes in and around Oakland, you can also participate in many leisure activities.

Not only can you go surfing and swimming, but you can also go skiing and hiking and this is just a great mix to live a happy life in the long run.

Oakland is a pet-friendly city

Another reason to move to Oakland is that it is also a pet-friendly city and when you walk down the streets with your dog, you will find many like-minded people and can have interesting conversations and can also make many new friends at the same time.

You don’t necessarily need a car

Oakland is also a great place to live since you don’t necessarily need a car but can rather rely on public transport or also just walk short distances so that you don’t have to deal with traffic jams and can also live an eco-friendlier life.

Oakland is a bike-friendly city

Oakland is also a bike-friendly city and you can therefore get around by bike in an efficient manner and may even be faster compared to going by car during rush hour.

You can meet people from all over the world

Another upside to moving to Oakland is that you can meet people from all over the world.

In fact, big tech companies attract people from all over the world and you can have many interesting conversations with those people and can also really learn a lot about different lifestyles.

Many great foods to try in Oakland

Since Oakland is a culturally diverse city, you will also have many different foods to try and you will be surprised by how good those exotic foods often taste.

In turn, you can also get many ideas for cooking at home and you can really expand your knowledge in this regard in the long run.

Oakland has a decent art scene

Another benefit of moving to Oakland is that the city has a decent art scene and if you are a full-time artist or are just interested in art as a hobby, you will find many people will similar interests to hang out with and to share your ideas.

You can meet many like-minded people

Since Oakland is a pretty diverse city, you will find people will all sorts of interests. 4Consequently, it will also be easy for you to find people who have similar interests as you have and can make many new friends and connections in the long run.

Oakland is a great place for tech guys and gals

Since Oakland is one of the centers of Silicon Valley, it is also a great place to live if you are a tech guy and want to spend your time with other tech nerds and talk about latest developments in this regard all day long and also want to work for one of the big tech companies out there.

Decent nightlife in Oakland

While Oakland doesn’t have the same high-quality nightlife as San Diego or Los Angeles, it still has some nice bars and restaurants where you can spend your time at.

Good schools and colleges in Oakland

Oakland also has many good schools and colleges and you can therefore make sure that your kids get the best education possible to give them a head start for a successful future.

Proximity to San Francisco makes it even more attractive

Oakland is not only a great city on its own, but it is also pretty close to San Francisco and San José and you can therefore also make nice day trips to those other cities if you get bored with living in Oakland from time to time.

Now that you know all the advantages of living in Oakland, we also have to talk about all the downsides that come along with it so that you get a more realistic picture of reality and can better decide whether you still want to move to Oakland or rather want to live in a different city instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Oakland

1. Property prices in Oakland are pretty high
2. Rents have skyrocketed over the past years
3. Average person struggles to afford rent
4. Housing crisis may become even more severe in the near future
5. Many people can’t afford to live in Oakland anymore and have to leave
6. Overall level of inequality has increased significantly
7. Homelessness has become a serious problem
8. Oakland is not that popular among tourists
9. Not as many good bars to choose from as in L.A.
10. Crime rate is above national average
11. Fierce job market for low-qualified people
12. Water scarcity may become a serious problem
13. Oakland is vulnerable to natural disasters

Property prices in Oakland are pretty high

One disadvantage of living in Oakland is that property prices are pretty high and if this trend continues, most people will really struggle to afford a home unless they work for one of the few big tech companies and make really good money while people moving to Milwaukee have to spend far less on housing.

Rents have skyrocketed over the past years

Not only property prices have increased substantially, but also rents have skyrocketed over the past decade and many people really struggle to pay for rent and other expenses of daily life.

Average person struggles to afford rent

Over the past years, there had been a trend that not only poor people are no longer able to afford rent, but also the average person really struggles in this regard and a full-time job may no longer be enough to make a living if you work in an average job and don’t make a six-figure income.

Housing crisis may become even more severe in the near future

Due to the enormous demand for housing in and around Oakland, housing shortage may become even more severe in the near future and this may lead to lots of social tensions in the long run since people will have to worry about their financial future and how to pay their bills in the long run.

Many people can’t afford to live in Oakland anymore and have to leave

Many people are already at the point that they are no longer able to afford to live in Oakland and rather move to Fresno or to other cheaper regions where they can still make a living from their jobs.

Overall level of inequality has increased significantly

Another downside to moving to Oakland is that overall level of inequality has increased significantly over the past years and due to increasing property prices, this trend may continue in the future and people may become increasingly desperate and may have to deal with lots of emotional stress.

Homelessness has become a serious problem

Since many people are no longer able to afford a home, homelessness in Oakland has become a serious problem and will likely get even worse in the near future.

Oakland is not that popular among tourists

You should also know that Oakland is not that popular among tourists compared to other major cities in the US and if your goal is to meet many tourists or even want to work in the tourist sector, you should rather move to San Francisco instead.

Not as many good bars to choose from as in L.A.

While you can enjoy decent nightlife in Oakland, you will still not find as many good bars and clubs to choose from as in Los Angeles or other major cities and you may therefore get bored with local nightlife in the long run.

Crime rate is above national average

Another problem with moving to Oakland is that it has an above-average crime rate and if you want to be on the safe side, you may rather want to move to a safer region instead since crime will continue to be a problem in Oakland due to increasing social tensions and an increasing level of inequality.

Fierce job market for low-qualified people

While highly-qualified people often find good jobs and work for big corporations, low-qualified people often have a hard time in the job market and often have to work in jobs where they are not able to make a living from what they are doing and often need a second job to survive.

Water scarcity may become a serious problem

Due to global warming, water scarcity may also become a serious problem in Oakland and if the city runs out of drinking water, this would greatly lower overall quality of life and would also lead to many additional issues in the long run.

Oakland is vulnerable to natural disasters

You should also not forget that Oakland is vulnerable to earthquakes, wildfires and other natural disasters and those things could take away your home and even your life if you are unlucky.

Top 10 Moving To Oakland Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should You Move To Oakland?

As you can see, Oakland can be a great place to live.

However, there are still some downsides to moving to Oakland and you should therefore carefully evaluate all the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Oakland yourself to make the best possible decision in this regard.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Oakland anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Los Angeles

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San Diego

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San José

Advantages and disadvantages of living in San Francisco

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Fresno

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Sacramento

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Long Beach

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/oaklandcitycalifornia

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.