Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0Oakland spent more per resident in 2022 than 67% of similar cities
Oakland’s borough government spent $17.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $1,351 per resident.
What stands out about how Oakland is run
Read from the borough’s budget and official records.
$1,351 per resident in 2022: more than 67% of them
Oakland’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,351 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 45 New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,189, and the middle half spent $1,010–$1,449. Oakland spent more than 67% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($1.5 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Oakland itself left out).
About $1,351 per resident a year, or $3.70 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 25%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Oakland collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
No trend yet
Oakland reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Typical bills top $10,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.
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.
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 borough posts agendas and minutes on oakland-nj.org ↗.
One full-time borough employee for every 163 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (12,841).
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.
Ramapo-Indian Hill Regional School District
Oakland’s high school district, shared with Franklin Lakes, Wyckoff Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $35,164 per pupil, $19,354 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.
New Jersey districts overall: 48% local, 46% state, 6% federal.
Oakland Borough School District · $31,007 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Oakland.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: oakland-nj.org ↗
- 2New Jersey General AssemblyState representatives
- 3New Jersey SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Jersey
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Oakland compares with the towns next door
Oakland spent $1,351 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Mahwah Township | $1,264 | $9,105 |
| Wayne Township | $1,397 | $10,000+ |
| Franklin Lakes | estimate | $10,000+ |
| Oakland | $1,351 | $10,000+ |
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 $1,351 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,351 was more than 67% of 45 New Jersey cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Oakland’s government?
See oakland-nj.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Oakland yet.
How many people work for Oakland?
79 full-time and 52 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $680,385 (about $8.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Oakland in the state legislature?
State Senate District 39 (Holly Schepisi) and General Assembly District 39 (Bob Auth and John Azzariti). The General Assembly district also covers 27 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 →