Overview

Rated by Forbes as the 8th best city for business in the nation,¹ Oakland is California's most strategic location for companies seeking to move goods and ideas quickly and seamlessly over air, water, land or cyberspace.

The 17th largest Metropolitan Economy in the United States,² Oakland has a solid, diverse mix of traditional and new economy companies. Companies are attracted to our excellent quality of life, comparatively lower business costs, extensive fiber-optic infrastructure, world-class seaport, vast inter-modal network, and a highly skilled labor pool -- ranked the 8th most educated in the nation.³

City leaders have cultivated a pro-business climate that has transformed Oakland into a major center for business in the Bay Area. The Community and Economic Development Agency acts as a conduit to encourage private investment and bring in new businesses.

In recent years, public and private investment has driven more than 75 major development projects, including market-rate residential housing to achieve former Mayor Jerry Brown's goal of attracting 10,000 new downtown residents.

All of these factors – combined with great weather, a vibrant waterfront, lush hills, plentiful open space, beautiful neighborhoods, panoramic vistas, world-class attractions, and abundant cultural amenities -- make Oakland a highly desirable place to live, work and do business.

¹Forbes/Milken Institute List of Best Places for Business and Careers, Forbes, May 27, 2002.
²The Role of Metro Areas in the US Economy, U.S. Conference of Mayors, July 2003.
³2000 U.S. Census