Photo: Cecouchman · CC BY-SA 3.0Oakland spent more per resident in 2022 than 71% of similar cities
Oakland’s town government spent $2 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, about $1,125 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.2 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Oakland is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$1,196 per resident in 2022: more than 71% of them
Oakland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,196 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 79 Maryland cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $808, and the middle half spent $441–$1,316. Oakland spent more than 71% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($650,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Maryland cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Oakland itself left out).
About $1,125 per resident a year, or $3.08 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is down 5% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Oakland reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,196 · 2023: $1,125.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,655 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.09% of the home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Oakland’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Oakland’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Oakland →
Who’s in charge in Oakland
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Oakland’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on oaklandmd.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 87 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (1,817).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Garrett County Public Schools
Oakland’s K–12 school district, shared with Accident, Deer Park, Friendsville, Grantsville, Kitzmiller and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $28,991 per pupil, $17,885 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Maryland districts overall: 47% local, 44% state, 9% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Oakland’s votes are counted by county
Maryland reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Oakland alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Garrett County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican75.7%11,983 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat21.8%3,456 votesOthers: 2.5% (399 votes).
Most votes in Garrett County: Donald J Trump
Maryland: Harris 62.6%, Trump 34.1%
100% of Oakland lies in Garrett County. Every 2024 race in Garrett County is on the county’s page.
Garrett County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Oakland.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: oaklandmd.com ↗
- 2Maryland House of DelegatesState representatives
- 3Maryland SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Maryland
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Oakland compares with the towns next door
Oakland spent $1,196 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $422. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain Lake Park | $422 | $2,247 |
| Oakland | $1,196 | $2,655 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Oakland’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Oakland’s government
How much does Oakland spend per resident?
About $1,125 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,196 was more than 71% of 79 Maryland cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Oakland?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,655 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.09% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.97% across Maryland. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see oaklandmd.com.
Who runs Oakland’s government?
See oaklandmd.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Oakland yet.
How did Oakland vote in 2024?
Maryland counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Oakland alone. Garrett County, where 100% of Oakland lies, voted Trump 75.7%, Harris 21.8% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Oakland?
21 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $95,240 (about $1.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Oakland in the state legislature?
State Senate District 1 (Mike McKay) and House of Delegates District 1A (Jim Hinebaugh). The House of Delegates district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Oakland’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →