Commercial Real Estate Market in Oakland, CA
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: September 30
1,054 active listings and 10,506 off-market properties in Oakland, CA. Commercial property asks $387/SF to buy and $19.51/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Oakland, CA spans 60.9 square miles in Alameda County, California. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 30 September 2026.
Office
Office space in Oakland, CA asks $503/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 20.8% across the West region in 2025, up from 11% in 2019.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Retail
Retail space in Oakland, CA asks $322/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 5.8% across the West region in 2025, down from 7% in 2020.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Oakland, CA runs 7.9% across the West region in 2025, up from 3.7% in 2019. Nearly 3.2x the 2022 low of 2.5%.
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Oakland, CA asks $391/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 8.6% across the West region in 2025, up from 7% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in West region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Industrial 42.5%
- Commercial 29.8%
- Residential 17.6%
- Open space 9.1%
- Mixed use 0.7%
- Civic 0.2%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Heavy Industrial
Detached Unit Residential
General Industrial
Hillside Residential 4
Mixed Housing Residential 2
Oakland, CA zones 50,051 acres across 104 districts. Commercial zoning covers 29.8% of zoned land, residential 17.6%, open space 9.1% and industrial 42.5%. The largest single district is Heavy Industrial at 26.1%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 72.3% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Heavy Industrial (M-40)
Chapter 17.72 M-40 INDUSTRIAL ZONE REGULATIONS [32] Sections: 17.72.010 Title, intent, and description. 17.72.020 Required design review process. 17.72.030 Permitted and conditionally permitted activities. 17.72.040 Permitted and conditionally permitted facilities. 17.72.050 Property development standards. 17.72.060 Special Regulations for Planned Unit Devel…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Oakland, CA has 462,600 residents in 199,297 households. Density runs 7,599 people per square mile. Median household income here is $103,193 and median gross rent $1,978 a month.
462,600
Population
199,297
Households
2.3
Avg Household Size
38
Median Age
48%
College-Educated
85%
High-School Grad
60.9 sq mi
ZIP Area
7,599
Density / Sq Mi
$103,193
Median Household Income
$63,964
Median Earnings
$1,978
Median Rent
$930,000
Median Home Value
Tools
Lease vs Buy Breakeven
At $19.51/SF/Yr lease vs $387/SF buy → buying wins if held > 9.8 years.
The comparison uses county-wide sale comps against Oakland asking rents, so the implied 5% gross yield is computed off asking rents rather than a closed-deal cap-rate benchmark. Assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% a year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost, 2% closing plus 5% selling costs, and a 3% annual rent escalator.
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda | $387 (county avg) | — |
| San Leandro | $387 (county avg) | $12.99 |
| Emeryville | $387 (county avg) | — |
| Berkeley | $387 (county avg) | $29.69 |
Commercial property in Oakland, CA asks $387/SF. The 4 bordering markets run from $387/SF in Alameda to $387/SF in Alameda, and the city sits in line with their $387/SF median.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Oakland?
Commercial property in Oakland, CA asks an average of $387 per square foot. The 6 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $278/SF, so asking sits 39% above the achieved median. Office carries the highest asking price at $503/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Oakland?
Asking lease rates in Oakland, CA average $19.51 per square foot per year.
Is it cheaper to lease or buy commercial space in Oakland?
Buying beats leasing in Oakland, CA if the property is held longer than 9.8 years, comparing $19.51/SF/Yr asking rent with $387/SF asking price. The model assumes 30% down at 6.5% fixed, 2% of value per year in taxes and upkeep, 3% appreciation, 5% opportunity cost on the cash and a 3% annual rent escalator.
How does Oakland compare to nearby markets on price?
Oakland, CA asks $387/SF against $387/SF in Alameda, $387/SF in San Leandro, $387/SF in Emeryville and $387/SF in Berkeley.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Oakland?
Oakland, CA zones 50,051 acres across 104 districts, of which 29.8% is commercial and 42.5% industrial. The largest single district is Heavy Industrial at 26.1% of zoned land. Chapter 17.72 M-40 INDUSTRIAL ZONE REGULATIONS [32] Sections: 17.72.010 Title, intent, and description. 17.72.020 Required design review process. 17.72.030 Permitted and conditionally permitted activities. 17.72.040 Permitted and conditionally permitted facilities. 17.72.050 Property development standards. 17.72.060 Special Regulations for Planned Unit Devel… Residential zoning covers 17.6% and open space 9.1%.
Where does Realmo's Oakland market data come from?
Realmo compiles Oakland, CA figures from 6 recent recorded sales, 690 active sale listings, 364 active lease listings, 10,506 tracked off-market properties, the current Oakland zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 30 September 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 691 active for-sale and 363 active for-lease listings in Oakland, CA. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Price per square foot
- The county-level $/SF blends closed sales aggregated over the trailing months of available data, not a single day's snapshot — it can differ from any one month's own median.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 50,051 zoned acres across 104 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 30 September 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- the lease-vs-buy comparison mixes county-wide sale comps with city asking rents, office vacancy is reported at West region level, retail vacancy is reported at West region level and industrial vacancy is reported at West region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 30 September 2026 · report a data issue
