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Oakley vs Knightsen

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (71.3× in Oakley) and size (20× in Oakley).

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Oakley, CAHomes around $657KCalifornia · 45,183 people
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Knightsen, CAKnown for its schoolsCalifornia · 2,264 people
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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.

OakleyHomes around $657K
Housing$657K typical home14% below the CA typical home Outdoors#177 most conserved land in CA29 miles of trails across 26 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 70%of CA districts All about Oakley →
KnightsenKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 70%of CA districts All about Knightsen →
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.

Trails71.3×
Oakley has more miles of trail
Oakley 28.5 miKnightsen 0.4 mi
Size20×
Oakley is the bigger place
Oakley 45,183Knightsen 2,264
Street grid7.2×
Oakley has the more walkable street grid
Oakley 72.4Knightsen 10.0
Property tax bill+82%
Tax bills are bigger in Oakley
Oakley $6,539Knightsen $3,594
Growth since 2010+20.6 pts
Oakley has grown faster since 2010
Oakley +22.4%Knightsen +1.8%
Home values+44%
Homes cost more in Knightsen
Knightsen $953,000Oakley $660,200
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,310 more a month in Knightsen

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.

Oakley$3,980/mo
Typical home $657K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $1,953/mo · Housing →
Knightsen$5,300/mo
Typical home $953K (Census) · tax rate 0.38% · Housing →

The difference: $1,310 a month, about $15,700 a year, between Knightsen and Oakley.

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.

Where they are

Oakley and Knightsen share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

OakleyKnightsenOakleyKnightsen
Oakley ↔ Knightsen2.9 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
28 Knightsen residents work in Oakley (4.1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Knightsen →
Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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.

Safety
BOakleySafer than 55% of U.S. towns –KnightsenNot graded
Schools
B+OakleyBetter than 70% of districts in the state B+KnightsenBetter than 70% of districts in the state
Health
B+OakleyHealthier than 66% of U.S. towns BKnightsenHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns
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
OakleyKnightsen
Snow a year0″0″
January low40°F40°F
July high91°F91°F
Growing season (days)343d343d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)82nd89th
Outdoors & history
OakleyKnightsen
Trails29 mi0 mi
Conserved land13.7%11.7%
Settled1999—
Archive photos7—
Famous people born here4—
Community
OakleyKnightsen
Library hours a week40 hrs—
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.

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.

OakleyKnightsen
People
Population 45,183Highest 2,264Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +22.4%Highest CA: +6.1% +1.8%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 36.6±0.9Lowest 3% below CA 39.6±10.6Highest 4% above CA
Knightsen and Oakley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.7%±2.3Highest CA: 22% 22.2%±2.1Lowest CA: 22%
Oakley and Knightsen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 11.6%±1.3Lowest CA: 15.7% 12.9%±4.4Highest CA: 15.7%
Knightsen and Oakley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.3%Highest CA: 37.1% 22.2%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.5%±1Highest CA: 7.6% 3.1%±2.8Lowest CA: 7.6%
Oakley and Knightsen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $137,677±$12kLowest 39% above CA $177,232±$62kHighest 79% above CA
Knightsen and Oakley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $660,200±$13kLowest 10% below CA $953,000±$211kHighest 30% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,953±$223 4% below CA —
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,539Highest 28% above CA $3,594Lowest 30% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 51.1%±6.9Highest CA: 55.3% 0%±100Lowest CA: 55.3%
Oakley and Knightsen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 6.1%Highest CA: 12% 3.8%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 78.8%Lowest CA: 55.9% 97.9%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1996Highest 20 yrs newer than CA 1975Lowest 1 yr older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 40 minLowest 40% above CA 44 minHighest 53% above CA
Work from home 16.5%±3.8Highest CA: 17.2% 15.5%±7.3Lowest CA: 17.2%
Oakley and Knightsen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 6.3%Highest 0.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miLowest 24.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.23Lowest 0.38Highest
Top workplaceoutside town San Francisco (8%)Brentwood (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Knightsen4% work in Oakley
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 13.7%Highest 11.7%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 28.5 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.8 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 26Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 72.4Highest 10.0Lowest
Schools
School district Antioch Unified · Liberty Union HighKnightsen Elementary
High school in town Freedom HighNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 21.5 —
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.

Oakley neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Oakley’s Town Square.

Knightsen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Knightsen’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Oakley and Knightsen

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Bordering Oakley

+ Compare
Antioch116,477 people · $630K homes
B
+ Compare
Brentwood65,208 people · $837K homes

Towns like Oakley

W
+ Compare
Wildomar37,277 people · $552K homes
B
+ Compare
Beaumont56,266 people · $504K homes
+ Compare
Lathrop35,052 people · $644K homes
+ Compare
Yucaipa54,421 people · $502K homes

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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