Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Oakland grades C overall, 87th of 175 graded towns in Tennessee, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $98K and it reports less crime per resident than 76% of U.S. towns. On the other side, its schools rank behind 90% of the state's. Oakland’s median rent is $1,992 a month, against $944 a month in Tennessee’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Mebane-Nuckolls House and Oakland Presbyterian Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 6 of the 177 Tennessee towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Oakland.
Where Oakland beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
6,623 counted in 2010 and 8,936 in 2020; an estimated 10,835 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 20.6% since 2020, after 34.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Oakland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 66 in 1880, 8,936 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 4 maps from 1943 on.
1 place 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 Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Oakland.
Oakland fares better on crime within Tennessee than nationally and looks healthier within Tennessee than nationally, but it has commutes longer than most of Tennessee.
5.4 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Fayette County Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 621 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests and graduation
At 9.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 94% of Tennessee’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 13 reported in 2025, 1.2 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Oakland is 5.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Oakland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.9 per 1,000 residents | 11.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The average commute for its 4,613 working residents takes 35 minutes, against 25.7 across Tennessee. Jobs based here grew from 1,149 in 2013 to 1,699.
Most working residents leave Oakland for work: only 4% work in town. 5.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Oakland. Jobs based in Oakland grew to 1,699 in 2023, 550 more than in 2013.
| Oakland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $98,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 12% | 8% |
| Work from home | 13% | 9.5% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 2010, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Oakland.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Oakland has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Oakland’s July high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Tennessee it is healthier than 69% of the 176 graded towns: much of Tennessee scores lower on these measures. Against the 8,902 U.S. towns with household incomes like Oakland’s, it is less healthy than 86%, so it trails even them.
Oakland beats the Tennessee average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 27% of Oakland adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Oakland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 19% | 14% |
| What stands out | Oakland | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13.5% | 16.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Adults 35 to 64 are 43% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (23% statewide). Oakland has grown 21% since 2020, to 10,835 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Tennessee.
| Oakland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 23% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 18% | 18% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.6 points. Across Tennessee, 50.9% of residents are women.
| Oakland | TN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.5% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 10.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.3% | 8.9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.4% | 13.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15% | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.5% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.8% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.4% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.3% | 10% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.1% | 31.2% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.2% | 19.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.3% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.7% | 19.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.5% | 11.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Oakland home is worth about $351,000, down 2.2% in a year, 6% above the Tennessee typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Oakland; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Oakland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Tennessee.
Where Oakland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Tennessee, United States
Oakland is a town in Fayette County, Tennessee, United States. In 2020 the population of the town was 8,936, a gain of 417.8% since 2000, Reasons for this population boom, are the cities/counties low taxes, its low crime rate, and the 4 lane expansion of U.S. Highway 64 in the early 1990s.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Oakland grades C overall, better than 29% of U.S. towns and #87 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades C+ for health, A− for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 5.3 years of the area's median household income ($66,401 across the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.