Oakland's housing
Census estimates show Oakland has about 439,418 residents2 and about 191,713 housing units, about 176,584 of them occupied.2 About 41 percent of Oakland's housing units are detached houses and about 5 percent attached houses;3 about 17 percent sit in buildings of two to four units and about 36 percent in buildings of five or more.
Renters occupy about 58 percent of Oakland's occupied homes,4 about 101,831 households, and owners about 42 percent, about 74,753, Census estimates show. Two-bedroom homes are Oakland's largest group at about 33 percent of housing units,5 with about 32 percent studios or one-bedrooms and about 11 percent with four or more bedrooms.
Where Oakland households live
By Census estimates, about 53 percent of Oakland renter households live in buildings of five or more units6 and about 17 percent rent a detached house; about 6,786 owner households are in those larger buildings. About 35,622 Oakland renter households moved in during 2020 or later,7 about 35 percent of renters, against about 16 percent of owners.
Oakland households average about 2.45 people,8 the Census estimates. About 34 percent are one person living alone,8 about 27 percent include someone 65 or older8 and about 26 percent include someone under 18.8
Oakland's carts
Two companies work with the City9 on Oakland collection, Oakland Recycles says: one handles trash, compost and bulky service, and the other handles recycling, household batteries and used motor oil.
Single-family homes set carts out by 6am on pickup day,10 on the sidewalk with lids closed and handles facing away from the street, and not where cars park; for regular service, materials must fit inside the cart or bin with the lid closed,10 Oakland Recycles says.
What goes in Oakland's bins
Oakland Recycles says only items shown on a recycling or compost container's label belong in it,10 anything else counts as a contaminant, and contaminants can ruin an entire load. StopWaste's Oakland guide says to pour recyclables out of a container or plastic bag into the curbside cart or bin, and to put the empty plastic bag, if not reusing it, in the trash so it does not jam the sorting machinery.11
StopWaste says compostable bags are not accepted in Oakland's residential compost stream; residents who line a kitchen pail with one should empty it loosely into the outside compost container and put the empty bag in the trash.11
Bulky items in Oakland
All Oakland households can directly schedule a bulky drop-off and a curbside pickup,12 and reservations are required for both, Oakland Recycles says. The curbside appointment covers up to four cubic yards of bulky waste12 and a limited number of large items like appliances, mattresses and tires.
For multi-family buildings with lots of units, Oakland Recycles says property managers can schedule a roll-off container and a bulky removal day for tenants.12 Oakland Public Works holds quarterly Bulky Block Party events,13 open to all Oakland residents with proof of residency; businesses are not eligible, and construction debris, hazardous materials, green waste and commercial waste are not accepted.
Renting and moving out in Oakland
Oakland Recycles says residents of multi-family units must have convenient access to sufficient trash, recycling and compost containers.9 Oakland's solid waste code, Chapter 8.28, has multi-family properties give new tenants sorting information before or within 14 days of moving in, and at least 14 days before tenants move out,14 unless a tenant gives less notice.
The City of Oakland says its Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance prohibits a property owner from terminating a tenancy without just cause.15 The Rent Adjustment Ordinance is in section 8.22 of the Oakland Municipal Code,15 the City's rental laws page notes.
Grease, batteries and household hazardous waste in Oakland
The City of Oakland asks people not to pour fats, oils and grease down the drain at home or work,16 and calls them a common cause of sewer blockages and overflows. Household hazardous waste never belongs in any curbside cart,17 the City says; its list of what to take to the county's facility includes cleaners, paints, solvents, spray cans and batteries.
Oakland Recycles says household dry-cell batteries go in a clear zip-lock bag on top of the recycle cart on pickup day,10 and warns that disposing of batteries incorrectly can cause injuries or fire hazards.
Oakland's water and storm drains
Oakland's Municipal Code prohibits illicit discharges to the city storm sewer system or a watercourse,18 defining an illicit discharge as one not composed entirely of storm water, apart from permitted discharges and firefighting. The code also has the occupant or tenant, or else the owner, keep a paved sidewalk in front of a property clear of dirt or litter to the maximum extent practicable,18 and bars sweepings from going into the gutter or roadway.
East Bay Municipal Utility District says its primary water supply serves 1.5 million East Bay customers19 and begins as snow and rainfall in the Mokelumne River watershed, per its 2025 report. The District's water use rules, Section 29 dated July 1, 2026, prohibit the District's customers from applying potable water to sidewalks and driveways, or to other hard surfaces in a way that results in excessive use and runoff, except where necessary to address an immediate health and safety need.20
Oakland's weather and air
NOAA's 1991-2020 normals at the Oakland Museum station give 22.61 inches of precipitation a year,21 with 41.8 days at a tenth of an inch or more, and 0.00 inches in July.21 Normal monthly highs at the station run from about 59.7 degrees in December to about 74.6 in September,21 with 4.6 days a year at 90 degrees or more.21
NOAA's Storm Events Database records that the Downtown Oakland coop site set a daily high of 100 degrees on September 5, 2022,22 breaking the previous record of 95 degrees set in 2008. On November 16, 2018, wildfire smoke from the Camp Fire reached the Bay Area, with school closures in Oakland, the NOAA Storm Events Database records.22 The Bay Area Air District's 2024 network plan lists three air monitoring sites in Oakland:23 Oakland East, Oakland West and Oakland Laney College.