Oakland, CA (Lake Merritt)

When you see a neighborhood for the first time, the most important thing is often the way it looks, like its homes and its setting. Some places look the same, but they only reveal their true character after living in them for a while because they contain a unique mix of occupational or cultural groups. This neighborhood is very unique in some important ways, according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive exploration and analysis.

People

In a nation where 1 out of every 4 children lives in poverty, the Lake Merritt neighborhood stands out as being ranked among the lowest 0.0% of neighborhoods affected by this global issue.

In addition, one of the most interesting things about the Lake Merritt neighborhood is that it has a greater concentration of residents who live alone than most all neighborhoods in America. With 67.6% of the households here made up of people living alone, NeighborhoodScout's research reveals that this is a larger proportion of people living alone than in 99.5% of the neighborhoods in America.

Also, some neighborhoods have residents that are more educated than others. But in this neighborhood there is a dramatic difference. NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis reveals that 39.2% of the adults here have earned a Masters degree, medical degree, Ph.D. or law degree. This is a higher rate of people with a graduate degree than is found in 96.5% of U.S. neighborhoods, where the average American neighborhood has 14.1% of its adults with a graduate degree. If you are highly educated, you may have much in common with many of your neighbors here.

Modes of Transportation

Would you like to be able to ride your bike to work? If you are attracted to the idea of getting a little exercise of the two-wheeled type while reducing your carbon footprint, bicycling to work might be the answer. But which neighborhood you live in can make this either impossible, or alternatively, a great and realistic option. NeighborhoodScout's analysis revealed that the Lake Merritt neighborhood is a fantastic option for bicycle commuters, as 8.2% of commuters here do ride their bikes to and from work on a daily basis. This is a higher amount than we found in 99.4% of the neighborhoods in America.

Also, in the Lake Merritt neighborhood, 16.7% of people ride the train to work each day. This is a very high percentage compared to most places. In fact, NeighborhoodScout's analysis reveals that this is a higher level of train ridership than in 97.1% of the neighborhoods in America.

Real Estate

The Lake Merritt neighborhood is very unique in that it has one of the highest proportions of one, two, or no bedroom real estate of any neighborhood in America. Most neighborhoods have a mixture of home or apartment sizes from small to large, but here the concentration of studios and other small living spaces is at near-record heights. With 95.9% of the real estate here of this small size, this most assuredly is a notable feature that makes this neighborhood unique, along with just a handful of other neighborhoods in the U.S. that share this characteristic.

In addition, the real estate in the Lake Merritt neighborhood really stands out in the way it looks for a unique reason: this neighborhood has a higher proportion of apartment complexes or high-rise apartments than nearly every neighborhood in the country. Most neighborhoods are a mixture of real estate and housing types, but here it is almost entirely dominated by big apartment buildings and complexes. In fact, 91.9% of the real estate here is classified as apartment complexes or high-rise apartments, which is more than is found in 98.5% of American neighborhoods.

Car Ownership

Most American households own a car or other vehicle. Many own two cars or perhaps three. In the United States, it is useful to have an automobile not only for commuting, but also for shopping and getting to other services one needs. But NeighborhoodScout's analysis revealed that households in the Lake Merritt neighborhood have a highly unusual car ownership. 28.8% of the households in this neighborhood don't own a car at all. This is more carless households than NeighborhoodScout found in 96.9% of U.S. neighborhoods.