Oakland, CA vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: Housing Market Comparison (2026)

Side-by-side Alpha Scores, affordability, momentum, supply, jobs, and rental yield · as of July 2026

Oakland, CA vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria side by side

Metric Oakland, CA Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Alpha Score3625
Price Momentum6650
Inventory Health471
Affordability715
Economic Strength3946
Rental Yield1015
Median Sale Price$924K
Price-to-Income7.24.6
Payment-to-Income42.7%28.8%
Months of Supply2
Gross Rental Yield3.1%4.2%
Overvaluation Index5020

Highlighted = the stronger read for that metric (supply, valuation, and payment burden are better when lower). Income/rent inputs lag annually.

How Oakland, CA and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare, dimension by dimension

  • Affordability: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — Oakland, CA 7/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.
  • Price Momentum: Oakland, CA leads — Oakland, CA 66/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 50/100.
  • Inventory Health: Oakland, CA leads — Oakland, CA 47/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 1/100.
  • Economic Strength: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — Oakland, CA 39/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 46/100.
  • Rental Yield: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria leads — Oakland, CA 10/100 vs Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 15/100.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a higher Alpha Score, Oakland, CA or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Oakland, CA scores higher — 36 vs 25 out of 100. The Alpha Score is a 0-100 composite of price momentum, inventory health, affordability, economic strength, and rental yield.

Is Oakland, CA or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria more affordable?

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is more affordable on our affordability dimension. Price-to-income is 7.2 in Oakland, CA and 4.6 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Which housing market has stronger momentum, Oakland, CA or Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?

Oakland, CA has stronger price momentum — 66/100 vs 50/100.

Want to swap in other cities, change the metrics, or chart the trend over time? Customize this comparison → in the interactive Compare tool. Or read the Oakland, CA market brief and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria brief.