Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Oakland’s subject grades are an A for walkability and history; the weakest is a D for incomes. Oakland’s average trip to work is 16 minutes, where Maryland’s towns sit at 32 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. On incomes, just 7 of Maryland’s 329 towns do worse. Oakland’s trail density is 2.2 miles per square mile, against 0.6 in Maryland’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Oakland has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Garrett County Courthouse and Oakland Historic District. Oakland has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Oakland beats most towns.
Where Oakland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maryland), ordered by how far Oakland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 910 in 1880, 1,851 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1892 and 6 maps from 1899 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 Mar 11, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Oakland.
28% of Oakland working residents work locally. The top destinations are Mountain Lake Park (4%), Baltimore (2%) and Grantsville (2%). 18% of Oakland residents live below the poverty line.
| Oakland | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 28% | 3.1% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Garrett County Public Schools. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Southern Garrett High School, with 870 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Garrett High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 870 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MD on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 98% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Oakland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Oakland’s median rent is $670 a month. The typical Oakland home is worth about $281,000, up 1.3% in a year, 34% below the Maryland typical home. 48% of households own their home in Oakland.
| Oakland | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 48% | 74% | 73% |
| Median rent | $670 a month | $1,809 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Oakland has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Oakland is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Oakland's reported crime rate is well below Maryland's. No town among the 56 in Maryland we compare has a lower violent crime rate than Oakland. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Oakland | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Oakland beats the Maryland average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
| Oakland | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 38% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 33% |
| What stands out | Oakland | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.9% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.5% | 13.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
5.9 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Among 249 Maryland towns, just 8 have a lower share of conserved land than Oakland. The biggest park or preserve is Glades Park, at 23 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Glades Park | — | 23 |
| 2. Mount Nebo Wildlife Management Area | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oakland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi MuseumFallingwater
6 mi LakeDeep Creek Lake
29 mi Park & preserveDolly Sods Wilderness
28 mi MountainMount Davis
34 mi Stadium & arenaMountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
28 mi National BattlefieldFort Necessity National Battlefield226K visitors a yearFallingwater: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dolly Sods Wilderness: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Fort Necessity National Battlefield: Wilson44691, CC0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Oakland
About 2 of every 100 Oakland residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
3 places in Oakland on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Oakland.
Town in Maryland, United States
Oakland is a town in Garrett County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. The population was 1,851 at the 2020 census. Oakland was founded in 1851 and was incorporated in 1862 Oakland is often referred to as, “A great small town!” Oakland was formally incorporated as a town in 1862. The town is home to the historic Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Oakland Station, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and restored in the 2000s. Today, the station is mainly used for special organizations or gatherings, although trains still run on tracks behind the station. A gift shop is located within the station. Seasonal decorations and events, such as a Christmas tree,…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Oakland.
| Town | MD rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | — | — | B− | — | B− | B |
| Mountain Lake Park | — | — | B | — | B− | C− |
Oakland and Mountain Lake Park have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Oakland and Mountain Lake Park report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Oakland with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
5 notable people were born here, including Darvin Moon and Randy Smith.
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