Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety58#6,513/15,637
Economy49#8,029/15,631
Housing78#3,297/14,977
Health45#8,657/15,609
Healthcare60#6,256/15,650
Environment100#73/15,453
Education42#9,090/15,649
Infrastructure31#10,827/15,650
Community49#7,975/15,651
Leisure & amenities85#2,396/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Oakland, Maryland ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Garrett County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

New business applications · high88.2 /1k
100/100Maryland 16.2 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauGarrett County value
Hot days · low0 days
99/100Maryland 25 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationGarrett County value
Pharmacies · high3.2 /10k
97/100Maryland 1.7 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGarrett County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high10.2 /10k
95/100Maryland 5.0 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGarrett County value
Rent-burdened households · low30.9%
93/100Maryland 51.5%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Restaurants and bars · high13.4 /10k
92/100Maryland 7.2 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGarrett County value

Weaknesses

Gyms and fitness centers · low0.3 /10k
12/100Maryland 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGarrett County value
Average weekly wage · low$964
13/100Maryland $1,568United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGarrett County value
Distance to an airport · high84 mi
16/100Maryland 21 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauGarrett County value
Reading scores · low2.80
16/100Maryland 3.00United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteGarrett County value
Suicide rate · high21.1 /100k
17/100Maryland 10.0 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataGarrett County value
Traffic deaths · high21.7 /100k
17/100Maryland 9.4 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataGarrett County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,745 (2015-2019) → 2,254 (2020-2024)
+29%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateWorsening
8.9% (2015-2019) → 26.6% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
72.3% (2015-2019) → 84.2% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
10.8% (2015-2019) → 2.9% (2020-2024)
−7.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Median household incomeImproving
$38,438 (2015-2019) → $53,289 (2020-2024)
+39%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
21.7% (2015-2019) → 29.3% (2020-2024)
+7.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Oakland, Maryland improved on 0 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Oakland, Maryland between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.3 min2015-2019	16.0 min2020-2024	−4.4 min	Within the margin of error	87%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.7%2015-2019	29.3%2020-2024	+7.7 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Broadband subscriptions	72.3%2015-2019	84.2%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Effective property tax rate	1.31%2015-2019	1.21%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	35%
High school diploma or higher	85.4%2015-2019	92.4%2020-2024	+6.9 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Home price to income ratio	4.1×2015-2019	4.6×2020-2024	+0.5×	Within the margin of error	49%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5092015-2019	0.4502020-2024	−0.059	Within the margin of error	87%
Median household income	$38,4382015-2019	$53,2892020-2024	+39%	Within the margin of error	72%
Poverty rate	18.8%2015-2019	17.5%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Rent as share of income	24.1%2015-2019	21.5%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Rent-burdened households	30.2%2015-2019	30.8%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	53%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Oakland, Maryland five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Oakland, Maryland in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Oakland, Maryland itself moved +8.4 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,254 residents (±472)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 men (−5.8 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,254 residents (±472)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

White95%2,149
Black0.3%†7
Hispanic or Latino1.9%†43

Education

1,796 residents (±351)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

No high school diploma7.6%†137
High school or GED38%674
Some college18%†327

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,086 households (±222)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

Under $25k23%†252
$25k–50k26%†285
$50k–75k10%†110
$75k–100k19%†204
$100k–150k13%†140
$150k–200k2.3%†25
$200k or more6.4%†70

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $75k–100k (+13.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,086 households (±222)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

Own48%516
Rent52%570

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

516 households (±147)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

Under $75055%†282
$750–1,00016%†81
$1,000–1,5007.8%†40

Home values

516 homes (±140)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

Under $150k16%†80
$150k–250k37%†189
$250k–400k40%†206

Age of homes

1,262 homes (±219)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

2010 or later1.2%†15
2000–200912%†154
1980–199919%†239

Size of homes

1,262 homes (±219)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

Studio0.8%†10
1 bedroom17%†212
2 bedrooms24%†302

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

891 workers (±287)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

Drive alone68%†609
Carpool9.9%†88
Public transit1.7%†15
Walk7.9%†70
Bike3.1%†28
Work from home9.1%†81
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

810 workers (±242)

Oakland, Maryland
Maryland share

Under 15 min60%†483
15–29 min22%†182
30–44 min7.2%†58

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Garrett County, the county holding most of Oakland's residents.

Garrett County has 951 employer establishments, 334 for every 10,000 residents (1.34× the US rate of 248; 1.45× Maryland's), with 10,577 paid employees at an average annual pay of $40,665. The Census Bureau also counts 2,694 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 951; 2,694 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 334; US 248 · Maryland 230
Paid employees: 10,577
Average annual pay: $40,665; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Garrett County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	78	27.4	1.77×More than typical	548	$58,356	235
Construction of buildings	74	26	3.44×More than typical	350	$42,257	116
Restaurants and other eating places	65	22.8	1.24×About typical	1,231	$23,843	5
Ambulatory health care services	58	20.4	0.98×About typical	593	$75,680	109
Services to buildings and dwellings	36	12.6	1.87×More than typical	232	$34,392	272
Other specialty trade contractors	35	12.3	4.90×More than typical	134	$52,985	102
Lessors of real estate	32	11.2	0.91×About typical	202	$38,550	366
Truck transportation	32	11.2	2.22×More than typical	160	$45,806	62
Limited-service restaurants	30	10.5	1.31×More than typical	454	$18,350	3
Offices of physicians	30	10.5	1.63×More than typical	376	$89,612	16
Full-service restaurants	26	9.1	1.19×About typical	704	$27,153	—
Religious organizations	25	8.8	1.58×More than typical	70	$27,886	—

Rank places for an industry Open Garrett County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 28,485 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $9,592 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Oakland, Maryland: $4.26 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $9,592; −22% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4.26; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 19%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$8,01584%
U.S. Marshals Service$1,39115%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management$1861.9%

Top recipients

GREATER MARYLAND TOOL & MFG. CORP.$8,01584%
NORTH STAR SERVICES GROUP LLC$1,39115%
THE DATA ENTRY COMPANY$1861.9%

Spending by fiscal year

188KFY2017
107.9KFY2018
113.9KFY2019
169KFY2020
83.3KFY2021
148.4KFY2022
13.6KFY2023
-58.5KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$2,10622%
Machine shops and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing · 3327$2,06722%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$1,39115%
Forging and stamping · 3321$7928.3%
Other miscellaneous manufacturing · 3399$7087.4%
Cutlery and handtool manufacturing · 3322$560

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Oakland, Maryland, so they do not add up across cities.

Oakland, Maryland's figures are part of those of Garrett County, MD ($2.1M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.5% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Oakland is mostly in Garrett County.

See federal money in Garrett County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Oakland, Maryland is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

April McClain DelaneyD-MD-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 96%Missed 2.7%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Garrett County74100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Garrett County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2457650

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends