Overview of Findings
Apartment List has released Oakland’s results from the third annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. This survey, which drew on responses from over 45,000 renters nationwide, provides insight on what states and cities must do to meet the needs of the country’s 111 million renters.
"Oakland renters expressed general dissatisfaction with the city overall," according to Apartment List. "Some categories received above average scores, but many received below average scores."
Key Findings in Oakland include the following:
- Oakland renters gave their city a D overall.
- The highest-rated categories for Oakland were public transit and weather, which both received scores of A.
- The areas of concern to Oakland renters are quality of local schools and safety and low crime, which both received F grades.
- Oakland did relatively poorly compared to nearby cities like San Francisco (B+), San Jose (C) and Sunnyvale (A).
- Oakland earned similar scores compared to other cities nationwide, including Riverside (D), Tucson (D) and Tulsa (D).
- The top rated cities nationwide for renter satisfaction include Scottsdale, AZ, Irvine, CA, Boulder, CO and Ann Arbor, MI. The lowest rated cities include Tallahassee, FL, Stockton, CA, Dayton, OH, Detroit, MI and Newark, NJ.
Renters say:
- "In Oakland, everything I could possibly need is nearbyL public transportation, grocery stores, restaurants, shopping, and parks." -Stephanie P.
- "I love the diversity, proximity to other big cities, and the culture. But I dislike the crime, high cost of living, and the lack of parking options." -Rachael N.
- "There’s a lot to do here and there’s easy access to other places. Oakland has a lot of character, great shops and food, and great people." -Katrina G.
For more information on the survey methodology and findings or to speak to one of our researchers, please contact our team at rentonomics@apartmentlist.com.
