CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.58° N · 90.38° W · GEOID 2953750

Oakland

St. Louis County, Missouri · part of the St. Louis, MO metro

Limited data population under 5,000

MissouriOakland, MOOaklandOakland

The short answer

Oakland is home to 1,562 people. Median household income is $114,861 a year and median rent is $2,781 a month, 29.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $410,700, about 3.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$2,781
104% above the median place
Median household income
$114,861
43% above the median place
Median home value
$410,700
29% above the median place
Unemployment
4.3%
11% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Oakland

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 18.8% a year while household income rose 1.3%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 140 Missouri places.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $712 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 140 Missouri places.
  • Median rent is $2,781 a month, higher than in 95% of places its size. It is the highest of 140 Missouri places.
  • The median resident is 53.6 years old, older than in 95% of places its size. It is the highest of 140 Missouri places.
  • 2% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 91% of places its size.
01

Moving to Oakland

St. Louis County loses about 4.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in38,403
Moved out41,969
Net−3,566

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

St. Louis city, MO11,7558,205+3,550
St. Charles County, MO4,0546,788−2,734
Jefferson County, MO2,8483,740−892
Cook County, IL500620−120

Within Missouri, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MissouriOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$72K
Leavers$80K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of St. Louis County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into St. Louis County report $71,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $79,700, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$111,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,781 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,069 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $410,700.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 21.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Willow Street, PA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
6.9%
20% above the median place
Income of households moving out8
$79,731
13% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-4.4
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureOaklandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year16.9%20% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.0%1% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-4.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$71,5771% above
Income of households moving out8County figure$79,73113% above
02

What it costs to live here

Median gross rent is $2,781, 104% above the median place.

Oakland29.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$111,240
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
29.1%
43% above the median place
Home price to income
3.6x
6% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
29%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$83,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Oakland, $2,781 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Oakland, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Bargaintown, NJ21.9% vs 29.1%$21,400Compare
Lake of the Pines, CA23.7% vs 29.1%n/aCompare
Willow Park, TX21.9% vs 29.1%$20,200Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Oakland.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Oakland? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
1956
1% below the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
60.0%
19% above the median place
Homeownership1
76.6%
15% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureOaklandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,781104% above
Rent to income129.1%43% above
Property tax rate11.1%19% above
Home price to income13.6x6% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.16% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,34916% below
HUD area median income4County figure$113,5006% above
Property tax paid (median)1$4,41835% above
Median home value1$410,70029% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.8%18% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure43.6%15% below
Homeownership176.6%15% above
Renters paying 30%+160.0%19% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,06911% above
Vacant homes1County figure7.3%3% above
Median year built119561% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
20 min
22% below the median place
Works from home1
21.0%
69% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Median household income$114,861 +43%
Poverty rate6.4% −41%
Income per person$51,583 +29%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureOaklandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$114,86143% above
Income per person1$51,58329% above
Unemployment1County figure4.3%11% below
Average annual pay6County figure$78,74119% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs6County figure589,803291% above
Poverty rate16.4%41% below
Mean commute120 min22% below
Works from home121.0%69% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 53.6, 37% above the median place.

Median age1
53.6
37% above the median place
Born abroad1
2.4%
72% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
58.6%
83% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher96.6% +5%
Homes with broadband88.7% −4%
Household size2.3 −7%
All 9 people measures
MeasureOaklandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,5626646th largest
Population change since 20207-1.2%below (median 1.1%)
Median age153.637% above
Bachelor's or higher158.6%83% above
High school or higher196.6%5% above
Household size12.37% below
Born abroad12.4%72% below
No health insurance1County figure5.7%11% below
Homes with broadband188.7%4% below
05

Life in Oakland

666 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 17 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents25.6 2.5×
Playgrounds per 10k12.8 +36%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k12.8 14.7×
Named paths and bike trails1 km −40%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi6.6 31.6×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.1 +1%
Shops32.3 +7%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.0 +22%
Doctors' offices and clinics32.4 +60%
Child care centers2.5 +9%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
271
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
134,524
above the median place (median 4,897)
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9
32.4
60% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureOaklandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure271above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure134,524above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure12.221% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure21.11% above
Shops per 10k9County figure32.37% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure5.022% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure32.460% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.59% above
Parks per 10k1025.6152% above
Playgrounds per 10k1012.836% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k100.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k1012.8above (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails101.240% below
Transit stops per sq mi106.6above (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure666above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 99.9, 11% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Oakland. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk14
99.9
11% above the median place
Good air days15
31.2%
54% below the median place
Median air quality index15
56
30% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureOaklandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure88°F2% above
January average low13County figure23°F9% below
Average temperature13County figure56°F2% above
Annual precipitation13County figure42.3 in3% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure99.37% above
Hurricane risk14County figure45.136% below
Tornado risk14County figure98.120% above
Wildfire risk14County figure61.71% above
Heat wave risk14County figure99.911% above
Median air quality index15Metro figure5630% above
Good air days15Metro figure31.2%54% below
08

Oakland in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 32% of the median income in 2030, up from 29% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,781/mo (2024)$3,780/mo$3,100 to $4,600/mo+5.2%
Median household income$114,861 (2024)$143,000$121,000 to $169,500+3.7%
Median home value$410,700 (2024)$569,000$413,000 to $784,000+5.6%
Population1,372 (2025)1,3701,320 to 1,430+0.0%

The median home would be worth 4.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Oakland

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Willow Street, PA$2,672$109,675Compare
Pompton Plains, NJ$3,129$117,959Compare
Ashland, NJ$2,529$118,500Compare
Parole, MD$2,306$120,361Compare
Parole, MDAshland, NJPompton Plains, NJWillow Street, PAOakland, MOOaklandWillow StreetParoleOaklandWillow StreetParole

Common questions

Is Oakland a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 18.8% a year while household income rose 1.3%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 140 Missouri places. Owning with a mortgage costs about $712 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 140 Missouri places. On cost, space and class size it scores 47 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Oakland expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 29.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $410,700.

What salary do you need to live in Oakland?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $111,240 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Oakland?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Willow Street, PA, Pompton Plains, NJ, Ashland, NJ and Parole, MD.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Oakland with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Oakland itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/oakland-missouri

Citytistics. “Oakland, Missouri.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/oakland-missouri/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.