Oakland is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey and a suburb of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 12,748, a decrease of six people from the 2010 census count of 12,754, which in turn reflected an increase of 288 (+2.3%) from the 12,466 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Oakland was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1902, from portions of Franklin Township (now Wyckoff).Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 82. Accessed May 30, 2024.Honeyman, Abraham Van Doren. Index-analysis of the Statutes of New Jersey, 1896-1909: Together with References to All Acts, and Parts of Acts, in the 'General Statutes' and Pamphlet Laws Expressly Repealed: and the Statutory Crimes of New Jersey During the Same Period, p. 209. New Jersey Law Journal Publishing Company, 1910. Accessed September 12, 2015. The name comes from the white oak trees in the area.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 12, 2015.
History The Van Allen House was built in 1748 and was a stop for George Washington and his troops in 1777.Yorio, Kara. "History calling: Bergen historical sites staging a special open house", The Record, May 18, 2011. Accessed May 24, 2011.
From the 1940s through the end of the 1960s a summer bungalow colony was developed in a valley in West Oakland on the Ramapo River. This was a refuge for a close-knit group of several score families from the summer heat of New York City and urban New Jersey. During the summer months, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad provided service at a West Oakland passenger station. This colony was located on the road between Oakland and Pompton Lakes, near a training camp for boxers. In the early morning, a resident could see Joe Louis or Sugar Ray Robinson, among others, running past the summer homes. One of these resorts was called Pleasureland and had pools and slides, including a concert venue for bands. It was popular in the 1980's until August 4th 1985 when a bus tour from NYC came to celebrate Jamaican Independence day and there was a shootout. The resort was then incorporated into the Great Oak Park with trails for residents.
One section of streets in the town are named after Native American tribes and Native American first names. Now considered politically incorrect, the borough had a wooden sign posted downtown that read "Once there was Indians all over this place" which had been donated by a resident who insisted on the wording of the sign as having been a quotation from an author.Staff. "New Jersey, a Guide to Its Present and Past", Federal Writers' Project, p. 441. Originally published by Viking Press, 1939, reprinted US History Publishers, 2007. . Accessed May 24, 2011.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 8.77 square miles (22.71 km2), including 8.50 square miles (22.02 km2) of land and 0.27 square miles (0.69 km2) of water (3.06%).
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Ramapo Lake and Rotten Pond.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 21, 2015.
The borough borders Franklin Lakes and Mahwah in Bergen County; and Pompton Lakes, Ringwood, Wanaque and Wayne in Passaic County.Areas touching Oakland, MapIt. Accessed March 1, 2020.Bergen County Map of Municipalities, Bergen County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Oakland borough, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)11,44111,27310,37091.78%88.39%81.35%Black or African American alone (NH)941041190.75%0.82%0.93%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)518120.04%0.14%0.09%Asian alone (NH)3355326052.69%4.17%4.75%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)1110.01%0.01%0.01%Other race alone (NH)1111300.09%0.09%0.24%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)961344010.77%1.05%3.15%Hispanic or Latino (any race)4836811,2103.87%5.34%9.49%Total12,46612,75412,748 100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Oakland had a population of 12,748. The median age was 43.8 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.7 males age 18 and over.
99.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 4,356 households in Oakland, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 68.5% were married-couple households, 10.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 17.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 4,561 housing units, of which 4.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%.
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 12,754 people, 4,335 households, and 3,568 families in the borough. The population density was . There were 4,470 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 92.71% (11,824) White, 0.89% (113) Black or African American, 0.19% (24) Native American, 4.17% (532) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 0.49% (62) from other races, and 1.55% (198) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.34% (681) of the population.
Of the 4,335 households, 39.8% had children under the age of 18; 71.3% were married couples living together; 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 17.7% were non-families. Of all households, 14.3% were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.22.
26.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.9 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $111,390 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,160) and the median family income was $114,973 (+/− $7,378). Males had a median income of $82,750 (+/− $6,931) versus $59,349 (+/− $7,903) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $43,651 (+/− $3,082). About 0.7% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Oakland borough, Bergen County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed April 24, 2012.
Same-sex couples headed 21 households in 2010, an increase from the 18 counted in 2000.Lipman, Harvy; and Sheingold, Dave. "North Jersey sees 30% growth in same-sex couples", The Record, August 14, 2011, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 3, 2013. Accessed October 23, 2014.
2000 census As of the 2000 United States census there were 12,466 people, 4,255 households, and 3,565 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 4,345 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 94.76% White, 0.78% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.70% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.87% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Oakland borough, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 5, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 - Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Oakland borough, Bergen County, New Jersey , United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 5, 2012.
There were 4,255 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.4% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.2% were non-families. 12.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $86,629, and the median income for a family was $93,695. Males had a median income of $62,336 versus $41,092 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,252. About 0.9% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over. Economy Oakland's downtown shopping area is along Ramapo Valley Road (U.S. Route 202), with the Copper Tree Mall being the borough's largest single retail establishment.Spiewak, Anna. "Lots to offer at a reasonable cost", The Record, October 24, 2009. Accessed December 26, 2011. "Ramapo Valley Road (Route 202) is considered the main street in the borough, around which the downtown core is centered. The Copper Tree Mall, a strip mall with a small indoor section, is the dominant retail location."
There are a few industrial parks in Oakland, the biggest of which is off Long Hill Road near the Franklin Lakes border.Horsley, Carter B. "Industrial Zones Gain New Stature", The New York Times, September 20, 1981. Accessed December 26, 2011. "The company has another mixed-use development straddling the border between Oakland and Franklin Lakes in New Jersey where it is building 80 single-family homes on one-acre lots next to the 200-acre Oakland McBride Office and Technical Center." The Oakland-McBride Center is the home of Royle Systems Group and of Topcon Medical Systems's United States operations.Verostek, Michael. "Kwartler Associates Sell Oakland-McBride Center for $12M: BD Oakland Partners Purchases Oakland Flex". May 4, 2011. Accessed December 26, 2011. "Kwartler Associates, Inc., the Wladwick-based asset management corporation, sold Oakland-McBride Center, a 121,000-square-foot flex building located at 11 Bauer Drive in Oakland, NJ to BD Oakland Partners, LP for about $12 million, or about $100 per square foot. Oakland-McBride Center, constructed in 1972, is the headquarters of fiber optics provider Royle Systems Group, and US headquarters of optical device manufacturer Topcon Medical Systems, a subsidiary of Topcon Corporation."