Jesse Middleton House · National Register of Historic Places
Oakland’s story
139 years in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1887Oakland is settled
OaklandKY
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
193
2025 Census estimate · −3.5% since 2020
Typical home
$286K
+3.1% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
46.7
years
Land area
1 sq mi
Is Oakland a good place to live?
Only 1 of the 143 Kentucky towns we compare have a higher July high than Oakland. Its National Register listings include Peyton Cooke House and Aubrey Burnett House. Oakland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Oakland stand out
Where Oakland beats most towns.
Small town
193 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 13 attractions →Mammoth Cave National Park and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oakland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi National ParkMammoth Cave National Park661K visitors a year
8 mi MuseumNational Corvette Museum
14 mi CaveLost River Cave
8 mi Theme parkBeech Bend Park20 mi Zoo & aquariumKentucky Down Under
11 mi MuseumThe Historic Railpark and Train MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mammoth Cave National Park: Willis Thomas Lee, Public domain · National Corvette Museum: Jonrev at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Lost River Cave: Nyttend, Public domain · Beech Bend Park: Acdixon, CC0 · The Historic Railpark and Train Museum: Bedford at en.wikipedia, Public domain
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Oakland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oakland, and how to reach them.
PowerWarren Rural Elec Coop12.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWarren County Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Oakland’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Kentucky you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWarren County ClerkWarren County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2019
ZIP code4215942159 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Oakland.
Work & commute
About half of Oakland’s working residents commute to Bowling Green
Most working residents leave Oakland for work: only 0% work in town. At 26 minutes, Oakland’s average trip to work is against 22 minutes in Kentucky’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in Oakland.
0%work in town
| Oakland | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 16% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Oakland0%
Bowling Green49%
Louisville6%
Smiths Grove4%
Russellville3%
13 mi
median commute distance
0
jobs based in Oakland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Oakland’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Warren County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 432 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Oakland
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities.
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Kentucky overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (38% statewide). At 46.7 years, Oakland’s median age is above both the Kentucky town median (37.6 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). 21% of Oakland residents are 65 or older.
46.7median age · KY 39.1
| Oakland | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.7 years | 37.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 17% | 18% |
OaklandKentuckyUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma1%
High school40%
Some college21%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±9.3 points. Across Kentucky, 50.5% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 74% are men (KY 51%).
| Oakland | KY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.5% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.2% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.7% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 17.9% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.1% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0.5% | 11.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.5% | 32.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.5% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.7% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.5% | 16.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.2% | 11.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Housing
A larger share of households in Oakland own their home than in the typical Kentucky or U.S. town
The typical Oakland home is worth about $286,000, up 3.1% in a year, 24% above the Kentucky typical home.
$286KZillow home value
Typical home value
Oakland$286K
Kentucky$231K
+3.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Oakland, expect four seasons and hot summers
Oakland has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 27° and about 8 inches of snow falls in a winter.
8″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–48°
Spring46–70°
Summer65–88°
Fall47–71°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Oakland is
Oakland beats the Kentucky average on 9 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Oakland | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 40% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Kentucky
9 better21 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Oakland | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13% | 15.5% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 7.4% | 8.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.7% |
The Medical Center (Bowling Green)
10.7 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oakland
17pages on Oakland
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Oakland
Western Kentucky UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bowling Green12.3 mi$11,652 in-state tuitionSouthcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bowling Green13.4 mi$4,728 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Oakland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Oakland for work
Where Oakland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
0jobs based in Oakland
0%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Oakland
City in Kentucky, United States
Oakland is a home rule-class city in Warren County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 198 during the 2020 Census. It is included in the Bowling Green metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 584 ft
- ZIP code
- 42159
- Area code
- 270
Questions about Oakland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Oakland, KY a good place to live?
Oakland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.