Oakland receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Novato
Oakland
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 40%
vs50 · Bottom 37%
Growth
17 · Bottom 5%
vs52 · Top 46%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs85 · Top 9%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs36 · Bottom 29%
Housing affordability
37 · Bottom 3%
vs43 · Bottom 6%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 48%
vs58 · Bottom 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Novato | Oakland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,546 | 439,418 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $115,736 | $101,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $65,423 | $61,757 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,920/sq mi | 7,852/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,032,500 | $929,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,506 | $1,979 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.1% | 42.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.9% | 48.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 13.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5 | 991 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.7% | 240.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 72°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 18.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 31 mi | 3 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.8 min | 32.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.5 | 37.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 132 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.27 | 19.52 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.2% | 73.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Novato
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, coastal flooding, inland flooding.
Oakland
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Novato, CA · Oakland, CA · How this is calculated: methodology