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Compare towns

Oakland vs Glendale

333 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+10.3 pts in Oakland) and conserved land (+19.6 pts in Glendale).

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Oakland, CAA history townCalifornia · 439,418 people
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Glendale, CAA history townCalifornia · 190,748 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $2,530 more a month in Glendale

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Oakland$4,260/mo
Typical home $709K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.92% · or rent about $1,979/mo · Housing →
Glendale$6,790/mo
Typical home $1.18M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.61% · or rent about $2,182/mo · Housing →

The difference: $2,530 a month, about $30,300 a year, between Glendale and Oakland.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Glendale places higher on 13 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
OaklandGlendale
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)94th93rd
Outdoors & history
OaklandGlendale
Conserved land10.5%30.1%
Settled18521884
National Register places6114
Archive photos2430
Famous people born here5049
Community
OaklandGlendale
Library hours a week58 hrs66 hrs
Colleges in town63
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

333 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Oakland ↔ Glendale333 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

OaklandGlendale
People
Population 439,418Highest 190,748Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +12.8%Highest CA: +6.1% +2.5%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 37.9±0.4Lowest about the CA average 41.4±0.7Highest 9% above CA
Kids under 18 18.9%±0.5Highest CA: 22% 18.4%±0.9Lowest CA: 22%
Oakland and Glendale are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.7%±0.4Lowest CA: 15.7% 19%±0.8Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 48.7%Highest CA: 37.1% 47.2%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.4%±0.4Lowest CA: 7.6% 7.8%±0.6Highest CA: 7.6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $101,600±$2kHighest about the CA average $88,393±$3kLowest 11% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $929,900±$12kLowest 27% above CA $1,102,300±$31kHighest 50% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,979±$29Lowest about the CA average $2,182±$34Highest 7% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $8,575Highest 67% above CA $6,679Lowest 30% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 51.1%±1.8Lowest CA: 55.3% 62.3%±2.6Highest CA: 55.3%
Below poverty line 13.4%Highest CA: 12% 12.9%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 42.3%Highest CA: 55.9% 35.2%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1953Lowest 23 yrs older than CA 1966Highest 10 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 4% above CA 27 minLowest 6% below CA
Work from home 26.5%±0.9Highest CA: 17.2% 21.2%±1.3Lowest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 25.7%Highest 20.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miHighest 8.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.12Lowest 1.13Highest
Top workplaceoutside town San Francisco (22%)Los Angeles (37%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in GlendaleFew work in Oakland
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.5%Lowest 30.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 104.3 miHighest 80.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.3 miLowest 2.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 128Highest 34Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 91.8Highest 73.6Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #245 of 574 in CA#123 of 574 in CA
School district AIMS College Prep Middle District · Aspire Triumph Technology Academy DistrictGlendale Unified
High school in town Oakland Technical HighGlendale High
Students per teacherat that high school 17.5Lowest 22.6Highest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Oakland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Oakland’s Town Square.

Glendale neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Glendale’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Oakland and Glendale

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Oakland

Towns like Oakland

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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