The 10 Best Oakland Suburbs To Live In For 2024


The best Oakland suburbs are Los Altos and Los Altos Hills for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

While big cities like Oakland offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.

With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Oakland. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Oakland without actually having to be in the city.

Of course, not all suburbs of Oakland are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Oakland area.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


What’s the best suburb of Oakland? Los Altos ranks as the best suburb of Oakland for 2024 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Los Altos, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.

We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Oakland ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.

Feel free to check out some more reading about California:

The 10 Best Oakland Suburbs To Live For 2024

Los Altos, CA

Source: Wikipedia User User:Kelly | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 31,133
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Poverty Rate: 3.1%
More on Los Altos: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Los Altos is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Oakland area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Los Altos.”

Everyone here is rich; families average $250,001 a year, which is the 5th highest in the Oakland region. And only 3.86% are out of work. Homes average more than $4,060,663 each.

Los Altos Hills, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 8,441
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Poverty Rate: 2.0%
More on Los Altos Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Los Altos Hills is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Oakland for 2024.

It ranks 5th for incomes in the area and only 0.19% of residents lack insurance, good for best.

Piedmont, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Sam Pullara | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 11,161
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 5.0%
Poverty Rate: 3.5%
More on Piedmont: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Here in Piedmont, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Oakland metro area.

The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.

But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Piedmont.

Atherton, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 7,124
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
Poverty Rate: 3.9%
More on Atherton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Atherton ranks as the 4th best suburb of Oakland for 2024.

You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Atherton and the schools are some of the best around.

5. Belvedere, CA

Belvedere, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Brocken Inaglory | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,327
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%
Poverty Rate: 5.9%
More on Belvedere: Crime | Real Estate

Coming in as the fifth best is Belvedere.

Belvedere gets kudos for having the 4th most expensive homes in the Oakland area, where houses sell for an average of $4,544,020. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.

6. Ross, CA

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,537
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 3.1%
Poverty Rate: 3.9%
More on Ross: Crime | Real Estate

Ross is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.

Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 3.08%.

According to online reports, Ross is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Oakland area, meaning you need to get in soon.

San Carlos, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Coolcaesar at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 30,490
Median Income: $219,413
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
Poverty Rate: 3.0%
More on San Carlos: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

The 7th best suburb on our list goes to San Carlos.

San Carlos schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.

And, it’s only 19.1 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.

Portola Valley, CA

Source: Wikipedia User | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 4,397
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Poverty Rate: 4.4%
More on Portola Valley: Data | Real Estate

Portola Valley is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.

A solid 1.79% of people lack insurance, good for 20th in the area.

Orinda, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Andwhatsnext at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 19,477
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 2.1%
More on Orinda: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Is ‘Everything Better In Orinda?’

Almost.

It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.

Danville, CA

Source: Wikipedia User ShakataGaNai; cropped by Beyond My Ken (talk) 05:53, 17 April 2012 (UTC) | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 43,449
Median Income: $209,518
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%
Poverty Rate: 3.7%
More on Danville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

And rounding out the top ten for 2024 is Danville.

This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.

Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Oakland for 2024

Figuring out the best suburbs around Oakland was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.

We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2018-2022 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:

  • Low unemployment rate
  • High median household incomes
  • Population density (lots of things to do)
  • High home values
  • A lot of college-educated people
  • Low poverty
  • High rate of insured families

We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Oakland.

Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 70 suburbs to evaluate around Oakland.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 70 in each category, where 1 was the “best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.

Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Oakland.” We’re lookin’ at you, Los Altos.

This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.

We updated the data for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Oakland suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.

Summary: Welcome to the Best Oakland ‘Burbs of 2024

We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.

The best suburbs of Oakland are .

So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Oakland but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.

For more California reading, check out:

Table: Best Oakland Suburbs

Rank City Population Median Income Average Home Price
1 Los Altos, CA 31,133 $250,001 $4,060,663
2 Los Altos Hills, CA 8,441 $250,001 $5,525,121
3 Piedmont, CA 11,161 $250,001 $2,521,288
4 Atherton, CA 7,124 $250,001 $7,732,900
5 Belvedere, CA 2,327 $250,001 $4,544,020
6 Ross, CA 2,537 $250,001 $3,838,437
7 San Carlos, CA 30,490 $219,413 $2,206,123
8 Portola Valley, CA 4,397 $250,001 $3,841,103
9 Orinda, CA 19,477 $250,001 $2,000,722
10 Danville, CA 43,449 $209,518 $1,861,576
11 Hillsborough, CA 11,258 $250,001 $5,101,758
12 Palo Alto, CA 67,901 $214,118 $3,220,174
13 Corte Madera, CA 10,155 $210,560 $1,760,932
14 Woodside, CA 5,256 $250,001 $3,633,237
15 Dublin, CA 71,068 $191,039 $1,293,624
16 San Anselmo, CA 12,761 $165,366 $1,659,899
17 San Ramon, CA 86,119 $190,829 $1,550,726
18 Mountain View, CA 82,132 $174,156 $1,845,861
19 Mountain View, CA 82,132 $174,156 $1,845,861
20 Mountain View, CA 82,132 $174,156 $1,845,861
21 Mountain View, CA 82,132 $174,156 $1,845,861
22 Menlo Park, CA 33,324 $198,273 $2,574,718
23 Tiburon, CA 9,115 $200,886 $2,963,608
24 Burlingame, CA 30,995 $165,940 $2,516,360
25 Sunnyvale, CA 154,573 $174,506 $1,875,596
26 Pleasanton, CA 78,691 $181,639 $1,582,884
27 Mill Valley, CA 14,199 $202,986 $2,043,408
28 Lafayette, CA 25,310 $219,250 $1,924,093
29 Clayton, CA 11,070 $164,899 $1,066,247
30 Belmont, CA 27,820 $185,944 $2,118,293
31 Moraga, CA 16,859 $193,707 $1,737,291
32 Sausalito, CA 7,233 $163,170 $1,538,563
33 Albany, CA 20,027 $124,469 $1,208,704
34 Millbrae, CA 22,825 $146,649 $1,927,421
35 Livermore, CA 87,154 $152,590 $1,087,248
36 Milpitas, CA 79,092 $166,769 $1,346,828
37 Larkspur, CA 12,969 $147,772 $2,123,779
38 Fremont, CA 228,795 $169,023 $1,413,076
39 Pacifica, CA 38,048 $151,849 $1,246,502
40 South San Francisco, CA 65,596 $127,062 $1,191,225
41 Walnut Creek, CA 69,809 $129,971 $1,086,764
42 San Mateo, CA 104,165 $149,152 $1,510,087
43 Half Moon Bay, CA 11,633 $148,702 $1,510,034
44 Pleasant Hill, CA 34,504 $137,685 $996,672
45 San Bruno, CA 43,218 $131,669 $1,253,713
46 Hercules, CA 26,041 $125,880 $800,088
47 Newark, CA 47,470 $159,465 $1,189,585
48 Benicia, CA 27,040 $124,375 $804,094
49 Alameda, CA 77,565 $129,917 $1,192,032
50 Martinez, CA 37,093 $124,669 $774,783
51 Berkeley, CA 121,385 $104,716 $1,400,497
52 El Cerrito, CA 25,869 $120,414 $1,162,177
53 Fairfax, CA 7,567 $126,034 $1,234,232
54 Brentwood, CA 64,443 $134,689 $803,477
55 Emeryville, CA 12,840 $114,345 $532,929
56 Daly City, CA 103,648 $114,910 $1,122,306
57 Pinole, CA 18,946 $113,630 $742,842
58 Brisbane, CA 4,756 $137,583 $1,134,881
59 San Rafael, CA 60,891 $113,839 $1,346,362
60 San Leandro, CA 89,723 $97,141 $830,087
61 American Canyon, CA 21,669 $122,694 $725,689
62 Concord, CA 125,007 $107,789 $754,708
63 East Palo Alto, CA 29,520 $103,248 $942,015
64 Novato, CA 53,055 $110,948 $1,071,686
65 Hayward, CA 160,602 $105,371 $845,438
66 San Pablo, CA 31,907 $72,552 $586,874
67 Vallejo, CA 125,132 $86,112 $537,019
68 Pittsburg, CA 76,419 $98,408 $575,383
69 Antioch, CA 115,016 $90,709 $607,514
70 Richmond, CA 115,619 $86,618 $633,759
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.