Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Oak Harbor grades B− overall, 123rd among Washington's 285 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 78% of the country and it is more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $529K, 5.8 years of the Oak Harbor area’s $91K median household income. Oak Harbor’s July high is 71°F, below both Washington’s towns (77°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Benjamin Loers House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Oak Harbor beats most towns.
22,075 counted in 2010 and 24,622 in 2020; an estimated 24,083 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 2.2%, after 11.5% growth 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 Washington), ordered by how far Oak Harbor is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 337 in 1920, 24,622 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 4 maps from 1943 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oak Harbor, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Oak Harbor.
Oak Harbor fares better on crime within Washington than nationally, has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has commutes shorter than most of Washington.
68% of Oak Harbor adults had a checkup this year. Oak Harbor beats the Washington average on 6 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 28% of Oak Harbor adults have high blood pressure.
| Oak Harbor | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 71% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 9.8% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 25% |
| What stands out | Oak Harbor | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.6% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 29.9% | 34.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.6% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Oak Harbor School District. Two of its 14 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Harbor Intermediate SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 767 | – |
| Oak Harbor High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,562 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
The average commute for its 8,043 working residents takes 18.4 minutes, against 26.6 across Washington.
About one in 4 of Oak Harbor’s working residents works in town. Oak Harbor’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Oak Harbor grew to 5,344 in 2023, 673 more than in 2013.
| Oak Harbor | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 4.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 15% | 11% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
July afternoons average 71.2°, cooler than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.9°.
Oak Harbor has mild winters and cool summers. The January low in Oak Harbor is 36°F. About 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 13.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 87% of Washington’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
4.0 miles of trail in 26 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Freedom Park, at 66 acres.
| Oak Harbor | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Windjammer Park | 1.4 mi | 31 |
| 2. Freund Marsh | 0.8 mi | 55 |
| 3. Freedom Park | — | 66 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
47% of households own their home in Oak Harbor. The typical Oak Harbor home is worth about $529,000, up 1.4% in a year, 10% below the Washington typical home.
| Oak Harbor | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,645 a month | $1,740 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 2018, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Oak Harbor.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oak Harbor. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi National ParkOlympic National Park3.6M visitors a year
12 mi LandmarkFort Worden
9 mi LandmarkFort Casey
29 mi Stadium & arenaAngel of the Winds Arena
25 mi BeachDungeness Spit
3 mi National park siteEbey's Landing National Historical ReserveOlympic National Park: Wsiegmund, CC BY 2.5 · Fort Worden: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Casey: mikelehen, CC BY 2.0 · Angel of the Winds Arena: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dungeness Spit: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve: Rspang, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Oak Harbor; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Oak Harbor residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
9 notable people were born in Oak Harbor.
City in Washington, United States
Oak Harbor is a city located on Northern Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,622 at the 2020 census. Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Oak Harbor.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Harbor | #123 | B− | D | B | B+ | A− |
| Whidbey Island Station | — | — | — | — | B+ | A |
Whidbey Island Station has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Whidbey Island Station reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Oak Harbor with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Oak Harbor grades B− overall, better than 52% of U.S. towns and #123 of 285 in Washington. It grades A− for health, B for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
9 notable people were born here, including Patricia McPherson and Marti Malloy.
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