Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Oakland’s median age is 49.6 years, above both the Illinois town median (40.7 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Oakland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Oakland beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 727 in 1880, a peak of 1,210 in 1920, 739 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 4 maps from 1936 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oakland, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Oakland.
The typical Oakland home is worth about $131,000, up 5.2% in a year, 56% below the Illinois typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Oakland for work: only 2% work in town. At $51,000, Oakland’s median household income is against $83,000 in Illinois’ towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Oakland has lost 22 jobs, to 146 in 2023.
| Oakland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Oakland has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 20° and about 18 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Oakland beats the Illinois average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 39% of Oakland adults have high blood pressure.
| Oakland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Oakland | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10% | 13.2% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 67% | 60.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Oakland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.5% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Watertower Park | — | 8 |
| 2. Howard Miller Memorial Park | — | 4 |
| 3. Oakland Centennial City Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Oakland
About 1 of every 100 Oakland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Oakland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Illinois, United States
Oakland is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 739 at the 2020 census. Oakland is the nearest community to Walnut Point State Park.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Oakland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Chris Miller and John McQueen.