Photo: Robert Hsiao · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Oakland, CA: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in Oakland comes from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 18% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection. Trains stop in Oakland, at Oakland-Coliseum/Airport.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Oakland, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Oakland.
Power comes from PG&E
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Oakland. Its homes paid an average of 37.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $174 a month (its average across California, for customers on its standard service). California lets you buy power from another supplier; 66% of PG&E’s home customers do, and PG&E still delivers it.
Start or move service: pgecorp.com
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) supplies almost all of Oakland. It draws surface water (EPA lists Contra Costa Water District as seller) and serves 1,442,800 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 82% of the 27 systems serving more than 1,000,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 3.3 ppb. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. CA0110005.
8 home internet providers serve Oakland
100% of 91,809 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 85% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 99% | 2,000/250 |
| AT&T | Fiber, DSL, Fixed wireless | 96% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Sonic Telecom | Fiber | 71% | 10,000/10,000 |
| Unwired | Fixed wireless | 89% | 300/25 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 66% | 300/20 |
| Etheric Networks | Fixed wireless | 59% | 250/100 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Oakland
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Oakland, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check oaklandca.gov →
From oaklandca.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 23, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Oakland (95%) is in Oakland Unified School District; parts are in San Leandro Unified School District (3%).
CSchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Oakland spans 14 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Oakland residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Oakland | ZIP’s residents in Oakland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94601 | Oakland, CA | 12% | 100% |
| 94605 | Oakland, CA | 10% | 100% |
| 94606 | Oakland, CA | 9% | 100% |
| 94603 | Oakland, CA | 8% | 100% |
| 94621 | Oakland, CA | 8% | 100% |
| 94611 | Oakland, CA | 7% | 79% |
| 94607 | Oakland, CA | 7% | 100% |
| 94602 | Oakland, CA | 7% | 100% |
| 94610 | Oakland, CA | 6% | 92% |
| 94619 | Oakland, CA | 6% | 100% |
| 94609 | Oakland, CA | 5% | 100% |
| 94608 | Emeryville, CA | 5% | 61% |
| 94612 | Oakland, CA | 4% | 100% |
| 94618 | Oakland, CA | 4% | 99% |
A few homes fall in 94705, 94613, 94704, 94720. 94604, 94614, 94615, 94617, 94622, 94623, 94624, 94649, 94659, 94660, 94661, 94666 are P.O. box or single-organization ZIPs with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
Train: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Oakland
Who supplies Oakland’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) (EPA ID CA0110005). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 82% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Oakland?
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 37.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Oakland?
Xfinity, AT&T, Sonic Telecom, Unwired, Verizon, Etheric Networks (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Oakland?
94601 (12%), 94605 (10%), 94606 (9%), 94603 (8%), 94621 (8%), 94611 (7%), 94607 (7%), 94602 (7%), 94610 (6%), 94619 (6%), 94609 (5%), 94608 (5%), 94612 (4%), 94618 (4%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Oakland in?
Oakland Unified School District. Parts of the city are in San Leandro Unified School District.
How do I register to vote in Oakland?
In California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Alameda Registrar of Voters. Check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Oakland’s own website (oaklandca.gov), read Oct 23, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.