Census-designated place · Lawrence County, Pennsylvania

Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania

Oakland is a census-designated place in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh, PA metro area. It has 1,330 residents. Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania has a quality-of-life score of 51 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,723 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Pennsylvania it ranks #717 of 997 cities and towns. It ranks best on unemployment rate (low), social associations (high) and drought exposure (low). It ranks worst on injury deaths (high), premature death (high) and adult smoking (high).

51Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,723 of 15,651 cities and towns
Pennsylvania: #717 of 997 in PA
Population: 1,330 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 996.9 /mi²
FIPS code: 4256000

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety56#6,885/15,637
Economy50#7,894/15,631
Housing67#4,947/14,977
Health29#11,050/15,609
Healthcare34#10,373/15,650
Environment30#10,765/15,453
Education49#8,000/15,649
Infrastructure76#3,733/15,650
Community79#3,327/15,651
Leisure & amenities32#10,696/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Lawrence 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

Unemployment rate · low0.0%
98/100Pennsylvania 4.3%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Social associations · high15.5 /10k
92/100Pennsylvania 11.9 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLawrence County value
Drought exposure · low0%
92/100Pennsylvania 25%United States 43%Nov 2025–Oct 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAALawrence County value
Mental health care shortage · low0.0
91/100Pennsylvania 1.0United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationLawrence County value
Public transit commuters · high3.5%
90/100Pennsylvania 3.6%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Home price to income ratio · low2.0×
90/100Pennsylvania 3.3×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Injury deaths · high136 /100k
7/100Pennsylvania 98 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLawrence County value
Premature death · high11,763 /100k
15/100Pennsylvania 7,952 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLawrence County value
Adult smoking · high19.5%
15/100Pennsylvania 15.6%United States 16.1%2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Public EV charging ports · low1.5 /10k
16/100Pennsylvania 4.5 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyLawrence County value
Life expectancy · low74.1 yrs
20/100Pennsylvania 77.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLawrence County value
New business applications · low9.5 /1k
20/100Pennsylvania 12.4 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauLawrence County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,579 (2015-2019) → 1,330 (2020-2024)
−16%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
29.8% (2015-2019) → 4.6% (2020-2024)
−25 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.6% (2015-2019) → 96.8% (2020-2024)
+20 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
63.7% (2015-2019) → 47.0% (2020-2024)
−17 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateImproving
20.5% (2015-2019) → 7.8% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
13.7% (2015-2019) → 26.4% (2020-2024)
+13 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 (CDP), Pennsylvania improved on 2 of 10 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 8 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.

Improved2

Bachelor's++13 points13.7% → 26.4%
Broadband+20 points76.6% → 96.8%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 10 measures

Change of every measure of Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.9 min2015-2019	16.8 min2020-2024	−7.1 min	Within the margin of error	96%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.7%2015-2019	26.4%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	95%
Broadband subscriptions	76.6%2015-2019	96.8%2020-2024	+20 points	Improved	90%
Effective property tax rate	1.67%2015-2019	1.18%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	90%
High school diploma or higher	92.1%2015-2019	95.6%2020-2024	+3.5 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Home price to income ratio	1.6×2015-2019	2.0×2020-2024	+0.4×	Within the margin of error	54%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4222015-2019	0.3722020-2024	−0.050	Within the margin of error	84%
Median household income	$54,6052015-2019	$63,3722020-2024	+16%	Within the margin of error	26%
Poverty rate	20.5%2015-2019	7.8%2020-2024	−13 points	Within the margin of error	96%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.2%2015-2019	10.0%2020-2024	+5.7 points	Within the margin of error	8%

“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 (CDP), Pennsylvania five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania 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 (CDP), Pennsylvania itself moved +20.6 points in standing on average over the same 8 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

1,330 residents (±348)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

650 households (±184)

Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania share

Under $25k9.1%†59
$25k–50k30%†196
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

650 households (±184)

Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania share

Own85%†555
Rent15%†95

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

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

772 workers (±241)

Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania share

Drive alone71%†545
Carpool6.1%†47
Public transit

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Pittsburgh, PA

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 Lawrence County, the county holding most of Oakland's residents.

Lawrence County has 1,865 employer establishments, 221 for every 10,000 residents (0.89× the US rate of 248; 0.94× Pennsylvania's), with 24,349 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,944. The Census Bureau also counts 5,448 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,865; 5,448 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 221; US 248 · Pennsylvania 236
Paid employees: 24,349
Average annual pay: $48,944; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	199	23.6	1.13×About typical	2,630	$60,139	198
Specialty trade contractors	125	14.8	0.96×About typical	985	$77,908	563
Restaurants and other eating places	124	14.7	0.80×Fewer than typical	2,036	$16,514	20
Religious organizations	89	10.5	1.90×More than typical	476	$22,206	—
Offices of physicians	84	9.9	1.54×More than typical	1,036	$79,522	23
Construction of buildings	61	7.2	0.95×About typical	309	$58,599	164
Limited-service restaurants	60	7.1	0.89×About typical	1,028	$15,720	13
Services to buildings and dwellings	55	6.5	0.97×About typical	294	$24,388	317
Offices of other health practitioners	49	5.8	0.95×About typical	324	$41,772	91
Full-service restaurants	48	5.7	0.74×Fewer than typical	882	$17,074	4
Personal care services	48	5.7	1.19×About typical	169	$28,095	235
Automotive repair and maintenance	47	5.6	1.10×About typical	254	$40,957	96

Rank places for an industry Open Lawrence County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 84,500 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 $12.3K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania: $9.26 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $12.3K; +210% vs FY2025
Per resident: $9.26; US $2,007
Sole-source: 1.5%; US 30%
Single offer: 56%; US 8.7%

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

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

MICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL, INC.$6,86556%
HARBOR STEEL INC$2,50520%
UNITY GLOBAL TRADING LLC$2,38619%
ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION LLC$1991.6%
LARK ENTERPRISES INC$1871.5%

Spending by fiscal year

3.7KFY2017
38.6KFY2018
8.1KFY2019
4.1KFY2020
13.1KFY2021
4.3KFY2022
3.2KFY2023
34.8KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$6,86556%
Boiler, tank, and shipping container manufacturing · 3324$4,89140%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$3703.0%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$1991.6%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 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 (CDP), Pennsylvania, so they do not add up across cities.

Oakland (CDP), Pennsylvania's figures are part of those of Lawrence County, PA ($938.3K in FY2026), never added to them: 1.3% of that total.

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

See federal money in Lawrence 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 (CDP), Pennsylvania is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Mike KellyR-PA-16 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 1.6%

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.

Lawrence County54100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Pittsburgh, PA84

Other cities and towns in Lawrence 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/4256000

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends