So, you want to move to a place with perfect weather, bustling neighborhoods, diverse culture, natural beauty, outdoor activities options, etc. Luckily, there’s a place that fulfills all these desires of yours: Oakland. This bustling city is located in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay.
It’s a truly amazing place to live, and by living there, you’ll be minutes away from all the wonderful attractions in San Francisco. But just like any place, it has its demerits too. For example, Oakland is vulnerable to natural disasters.
Some pros and cons of moving to Oakland:
So, before you finally move into Oakland, learn some pros and cons of moving to this city.
Pros:
1. Predictable Weather:
On this side of the bay, the weather is a few degrees warmer. Thus, the weather in Oakland is quite pleasant and predictable as compared to other bay areas. People living in Oakland’s neighboring Bay Areas almost always carry an extra coat or jacket with them because they never know when the weather will take a turn.
Luckily, Oaklanders don’t face any such trouble. The weather is always predictable there, and you can enjoy outdoor activities and picnics with your family and friends without the fear of changing weather.
It’s one of the many reasons people move to Oakland. But before you move there, make sure you have got all the preparations under control. Most importantly, don’t forget to hire the best Oakland movers to assist you in your journey. These movers are experts in all kinds of moves, whether residential, commercial, or long-distance.
2. Superb Transport System:
A city’s transport system is an important factor to consider when deciding to move because your daily commute to work or school plays a major role in making your life easy. Luckily, Oakland has a great transportation system. In other cities of California, traffic congestion is pretty common, but not in Oakland.
The railway services make regional and long-distance travel very easy. Oakland also has amazing bus services to facilitate intercity commutes. These buses also provide traveling services to Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) serving the metro area.
Also, three major airports are close to Oakland. And if you prefer riding a bike, you will find no difficulty since Oakland offers more than 160 miles of bike paths. The biking culture of this city is huge, so there are bike racks all over the city.
3. Quality Education:
The quality of educational institutes is the main thing to consider. As a working professional, you might decide to get a higher degree to be eligible for promotion.
Or if you have children, then it will be a big concern of yours to provide them with quality education. In that sense, Oakland will be the right place for you.
The city has a lot of excellent schools, colleges, and universities. There are around 86 elementary, middle, and high schools. So, you can easily find a great school for your kids, and that will also probably be closer to your residence.
There are also several charter schools in Oakland. The city is close to some of the top universities and colleges, such as The California College of Arts, UC Berkeley, and Mills College. Also, if you work in the tech field, you will find tons of job opportunities in Oakland. The job opportunities and salaries for technical positions in Oakland are very high.
Cons:
1. High Rent and Housing Prices:
As more and more people are moving to Oakland, house prices are soaring due to increased demand. The house prices in Oakland are almost three times more than the national average. So, if you are moving to Oakland on a budget, you will have to wait until the housing market slows down a bit. The houses in some local areas might become affordable shortly. Not only are house prices high, but the rent is also increasing.
The cost of renting is still higher in comparison to many other parts of the US. Many people in Oakland live with a roommate to afford the rental prices. If you are not someone who likes to share their living space, then you might find difficulty adjusting.
2. Higher Crime Rate:
The crime rate in Oakland is very high. A report shows that Oakland is safer than 1% of cities in the US. To put things into perspective, if you are in California, you have a 1 in 227 chance of facing a violent crime. But in Oakland, there is a chance that you will be a victim of a violent crime. This is a factor that you seriously need to take into consideration when deciding to move there.
3. More Tax Burden:
The tax rates are also quite high in Oakland. For someone with a low income and a family to feed, it is quite difficult to live comfortably because the income tax rates are much higher there. So whatever you earn, whether little or more, a substantial part of that will get returned to the government in the name of income tax.
Other than income tax, sales tax is also very high in Oakland. The sales tax rate in most cities in California is 6%, while the sales tax rate in Oakland is 10.25%. In the current state of the economy, it is quite difficult to survive in a place where there is so much tax burden. Since financial stability should be the top priority when deciding to move to a place, take your time to consider these points and then decide if moving to Oakland is feasible for you.
Conclusion:
If you want to move to a place with fine dining places, lakeside views, and a welcoming community, then Oakland will be a perfect place for you. But just like any other city, Oakland also has both positive and negative sides to it. For example, the crime rate is very high in Oakland, etc. So before you move to Oakland, review our pros and cons list to make an informed decision. It is better to check all these points before moving so you don’t suffer right after starting your life there.
