Skip to Main Content
© Mapbox / © OpenStreetMap
Suburb0
Oakland

Alameda

#2,301 in Best Places to Live in America
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • Suburb of Oakland, CA
  • 140 reviews
    A
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Public Schools
      A
    2. Crime & Safety
      C+
    3. Housing
      C-
    4. Nightlife
      A+
    5. Good for Families
      A
    6. Diversity
      A+
    7. Jobs
      B
    8. Weather
      A+
    9. Cost of Living
      D+
    10. Health & Fitness
      A+
    11. Outdoor Activities
      A
    12. Commute
      A-
    View Full Report Card
    Alameda is a suburb of Oakland with a population of 78,246. Alameda is in Alameda County and is one of the best places to live in California. Living in Alameda offers residents an urban suburban mix feel and most residents rent their homes. In Alameda there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Alameda and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Alameda are highly rated.
    About Alameda...
    Population
    78,246

    Real Estate

    Median Home Value
    $729,100
    National
    $184,700
    Median Rent
    $1,607
    National
    $949
    Area Feel
    Urban Suburban Mix
    Rent vs. Own
    • Rent
      53%
    • Own
      47%
    Sponsored Mortgage Options for Alameda
    Get Rates
    • Get pre-approved for a home loan quickly.
    • Easy online application with $0 in lender fees.
    Niche may be compensated by the third party lenders and others who place ads on the website. Niche is not a lender and does not endorse the products of these advertisers. Fees that Niche receives for ads do not affect the terms you may be offered by the lender you choose. There are many additional borrowing options available.

    Alameda Rankings

    Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

    Crime & Safety

    Crime & Safety
    C+
    Based on violent and property crime rates.
    Violent Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Assault
      118.8
      282.7
    • Murder
      1.3
      6.1
    • Rape
      16.3
      40.7
    • Robbery
      93.8
      135.5
    Property Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Burglary
      245.2
      500.1
    • Theft
      1,971.2
      2,042.8
    • Motor Vehicle Theft
      439
      284

    Residents

    Diversity
    A+
    Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
    Age
    • <10 years
      12%
    • 10-17 years
      8%
    • 18-24 years
      6%
    • 25-34 years
      15%
    • 35-44 years
      16%
    • 45-54 years
      15%
    • 55-64 years
      14%
    • 65+ years
      15%
    Education Levels
    National
    • Master's degree or higher
      19%
      12%
    • Bachelor's degree
      31%
      19%
    • Some college or associate's degree
      26%
      29%
    • High school diploma or equivalent
      13%
      28%
    • Less than high school diploma
      10%
      13%

    Working in Alameda

    Jobs
    B
    Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
    Median Household Income
    $89,045
    National
    $55,322
    Search for Jobs in Alameda
    • Public Schools
    • Private Schools
    • Colleges
    Places like Alameda
    More

    Alameda Reviews

    140 reviews
    All Categories
    Alameda is a cute little suburban town/island across the water from SanFrancisco located between Oakland and San Leandro. It is a great place for families with younger children (parks, beach), senior citizens (old folks homes, 25mph speed limit), and pretty much anyone looking for a safer place to live. Alameda is growing in attractions so streets have become a little more congested but the attractions give all the more reason to come into town! Demographically, Alameda is mostly White and Asian and mixed but definitely a much lower amount of Black and brown people than the neighboring cities. All in all, Alameda is nice little town but for some it might seem too small and not diverse enough to seek permanent residency. Beautiful island town nevertheless!
    Start Your Review of Alameda
    Rate It!
    Alameda has been a great place to grow up! We have the best neighborhood where we all know each other and regularly get together for bbq's, outdoor movie night on someone's garage, and s'mores around the fire pit. It was great when I was little, playing tag at night with glow sticks and waging attacks on the boy team with our water guns, but I think that I appreciate it even more now that I am older. I always feel safe when I'm out with my friends. There are 2 shopping malls, downtown and the West-end, plus a movie theater, arcades, a pinball museum, a bowling alley and lots of bike paths, beaches, parks and even kite-surfing!

    Alameda has been a great place to grow up, with the community of a small town, but only a 20 minute drive to San Francisco and Berkeley where we have enjoyed all of the benefits of a big city.
    I love Alameda because I have great childhood memories here. It's always nice to have easy access to a beach that is in decent condition. My high school teachers cared about my education and I still talk to some even years after my graduation. The city has a well thought-out layout. However, I can't turn away from the fact that some of its characteristics are not that great. The housing is extremely expensive here, my family can only afford to rent an condo unit instead of buying as they would like. The city police department is somewhat good but doesn't seem to be doing their job all the way through. Car break ins and teenagers causing problems in the business district have gone up. Social media forums also seem to allow residents to know that there is a good amount of racist and discriminating people in the city that people wouldn't know about without the forums.
    Overall, my opinion towards Alameda is good. It has everything you need on the man made island.