Oakland is one of those places in California where people seem to be moving in and settling down despite the statewide exodus of people that are migrating out. This is probably because of the ideal location that Oakland enjoys, just across the bay from San Francisco.
Every year this place receives thousands of tourists and that does not even include the new people who move to Oakland.
However the thing is Oakland is not necessarily the safest of places, what is considered normal in some parts of Oakland may be something dangerous in some places. That said, there are safe neighborhoods to live in Oakland and there are unsafe zones as well.
Since the area is pretty vast, you cannot take the statistics of one small neighborhood and generalize it for the entire city. Yes, the places considered as the safe areas of Oakland may not match up to some upscale areas in, say New York or Boston but still, they are absolutely liveable and have great amenities going for them.
With today’s advanced technology, you can ask real residents in online forums about how safe a neighborhood is.
There are also surveys that are uploaded to crime mapping websites that display the stats for individual types of crimes, real estate rates, amenities, etc. of a particular place, and 9 out of 10 times these sites store pretty accurate information.
7 Safe Neighborhoods In Oakland
Deciding which neighborhood to move into in a place that is as big as Oakland can be a daunting task.
Since the living experience is a subjective matter, some might tell you that so and so the place is very noisy and not a suitable place to live but some other people might recommend the same place for being a dynamic and welcoming environment.
However, what both these people will not disagree on is the safety in the said place. If there is a suspicious person on the streets, that is bound to strike fear in all hearts. That is why, a list of the safest neighborhoods in Oakland has been compiled for you, just to help you out a bit in your neighborhood hunting.
Panoramic Hill
It is a scenic neighborhood located on the eastern edge of the city at the foot of the Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve. The place is quite small and the residents are mostly families and students, the latter of whom is because of the neighborhood’s proximity to the University Of California campus.
In terms of safety, if we look at the California average then Panoramic Hills is one of the safest Oakland neighborhoods. The total crime rates over here are 56% lower than the national average and the violent crime rates are 63% lower than the national average.
It is safer than 90% of other California cities and in Panoramic Hill you have a 1 in 91 percent chance of becoming a victim of any crime.
That is pretty safe, right? Apart from that, this neighborhood enjoys good proximity to other major cities and yet is quiet and has a lot of walking trails and green spaces. You can enjoy a walk from time to time in the lap of mother nature and enjoy the scenes as well as the aesthetically built villas along the trails.
Crocker Highland
Crocker Highland is another of the extremely safe parts of Oakland to live in.
With a population of just close to 3000, this neighborhood is one of the best places to live in California state. The neighborhood has a suburban vibe to it and the residents over here have mostly lived here for a long time and many of them own the houses they reside in.
It is also one of the safest areas as the total crime rate is 39% lower than the national average and violent crimes are an impressive 72% lower than the national average. Law enforcement here is quite strict in clamping down on any kind of crime and thus the instances have actually drastically decreased over the years.
Crocker Highland is safer than 87% of other cities in California and here you have a 1 in 71 chance of falling victim to crime.
Although the place is densely suburban that does not mean it lacks entertainment and amenities as there are plenty of bars and restaurants and can be said to have a fairly liberal and welcoming attitude towards people from diverse cultures, ethnicities, and orientations.
Overall, it is a great place to live as is seen in the exceptional livability score of 83 out of 100 awarded to it by various crime mapping tools.
Forestland
As the name sounds, this neighborhood is another quiet corner of California tucked away in the lap of nature. It is located near the Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve as well as the Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve and therefore has lots of green spaces and walking trails.
The real estate rates are higher than the average city in the United States but that is probably why most residents here are affluent family persons or retirees.
Forestland is definitely one of the safe Oakland neighborhoods as the total crime rate is almost 31% lower than the national average which is not a lot given the sheer amount of crimes that take place in the US, but the violent crime rates over here are a god 89% lower than the national average and to be fair, that is what matters the most.
Here, you have a 1 in 62 chance of falling victim to any crime as Forestland is safer than 88% of other California cities.
Although this place is not a hub of conservatism and has a welcoming and liberal atmosphere, it is very quiet as people mostly keep to themselves. There are some decent schools in close proximity which is ideal for families with kids.
If however, you are looking for rich nightlife, this place is not for you.
Caballo Hills
Yet another quiet and suburban neighborhood that has a lot of green space and parks, Caballo Hills is a very safe place to live in Oakland.
The median household income here is $111,303, which is almost 101% percent higher than the national average. The cost of living and real estate prices are also quite high here. Some people live in places where everything is within walking distance, however, Caballo Hills is not one of those places.
Doing almost anything over here will require a car. There are also 4 AC bus transits in Caballo Hills and the nearest airport is the metropolitan Oakland international airport. Among the amenities include some fairly decent public elementary, middle, and high schools so you will find many family homes out here.
The place is not gentrified as you will not spot big business chain outlets over here but there are great places to eat and hang out as well as sufficient commercial spaces for shopping.
The crime rates at Caballo Hills are 77 % lower than the Oakland average and that can be said to be daily safe. Overall, the place will give you lots of privacy and peace, which is why many young professionals settle down here.
Although the prospect to do daily chores “on foot” over here is logically non-existent, as long as you have a dependable car, it will not be a problem at all.
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Upper Rockridge
Upper Rockridge is one of the largest neighborhoods in Oakland with almost 6000 residents. Many houses here date back to as old as 1909 which lends the place a unique historic charm as you can see a clear coexistence of antique architecture right beside modern apartment buildings and condos.
Although. Technically the neighborhood is sub-urban but if you look at the amenities it offers, it barely feels so. You can get fine dining restaurants, cafes, stores, schools, and commercial zones all within the boundary of the neighborhood and to top all of these off, Upper Rockridge has a violent crime rate that is 60% lower than the national average.
Rent and housing rates are also quite high here with the median home value being over $1.3 million. Residents over here are mostly families, retirees, and young professionals with 31% of them choosing to rent.
Woodminster
With a population of about 1500, Woodminster is one of the smaller and safe Oakland neighborhoods.
Many of the residents here are students which are due to the presence of both Holy Names University- which is a private Roman Catholic institution and East Bay Innovation Academy.
More than a full-fledged neighborhood, Woodminster feels more like a suburban community with excellent views of nature and walking places. The entire place is lined with sidewalks thus making walking to get around very easy and hassle-free, although to be fair the place doesn’t get much traffic.
The total crime rates over at Woodminster are 19% lower than the national average while the violent crime rates are a whopping 67% lower than the national average. This neighborhood is safer than 80% of other cities in California and out here you have a 1 in 53 chance of falling victim to any crime.
Woodminster has a very strong community fabric and hosts many local festivals and even a yearly Greek festival!
Montclair
It is a charming hillside neighborhood and is considered one of the best places to live in California by the residents themselves. What the place is best known for is probably its thriving shopping district called Montclair village at the bottom of the valley which has many restaurants, businesses, and cafes.
This is also a very desirable place for parents that want to enroll their children in some of the highest-rated public schools in all of Oakland. There are many public parks and green spaces which are great for those who enjoy being in nature.
The community here is very welcoming and people from diverse cultures live here. There are also around-the-year activities for the residents such as summer concerts, and Halloween and Christmas events. Being close to multiple freeways, connectivity is not a major issue here.
In essence, this is a great and safe place to live with lots of things to do.
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Wrapping Up
What is common for all is that all these neighborhoods enjoy great proximity to nature as well as good amenities.
For all we know, this city may also get densely gentrified in another decade or so, thus now is a good time to go and settle down before housing rates skyrockets to an insane amount!