Oakdale is a somewhat small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of New York. With a population of 7,430 people and two associated neighborhoods, Oakdale is the 231st largest community in New York.

Housing costs in Oakdale are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in New York.

Of important note, Oakdale is also a town of artists. Oakdale has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Oakdale’s character.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 9.22% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because of many things, Oakdale is a very good place for families to consider. With an enviable combination of good schools, low crime, college-educated neighbors who tend to support education because of their own experiences, and a high rate of home ownership in predominantly single-family properties, Oakdale really has some of the features that families look for when choosing a good community to raise children. Is Oakdale perfect? Of course not, and if you like frenetic nightlife, it will be far from your cup of tea. But overall this is a solid community, with many things to recommend it as a family-friendly place to live.

One of the nice things about Oakdale is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

The education level of Oakdale ranks among the highest in the nation. Of the 25-and-older adult population in Oakdale, 49.87% have at least a bachelor's degree. The typical US community has just 21.84% of its adults holding a bachelor's degree or graduate degree.

The per capita income in Oakdale in 2022 was $65,291, which is wealthy relative to New York and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $261,164 for a family of four.

Oakdale is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Oakdale home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Oakdale residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Oakdale include Italian, Irish, German, Polish, and English.

The most common language spoken in Oakdale is English. Other important languages spoken here include Italian and Chinese.