New poll shows frustration and hope across Oakland
Five key takeaways on how Oakland residents feel about public safety, schools, housing, and city leadership
Today, a new poll dropped from the East Bay Polling Institute, which surveyed 700 registered voters across Oakland – roughly 100 voters in each of Oakland’s seven city council districts.
The EBPI also published the full raw dataset and crosstabs, giving us a unique view into district-level sentiment across the city. The results are sobering in places, but they also reveal something worth noting: residents are engaged, they know what they want, and they overwhelmingly agree on it.
70% of voters support increased police presence
Public safety ranked as the single most important problem facing Oakland, cited by 28% of respondents, nearly double the next highest issue (“housing and cost of living” at 16%).
Notably, respondents signaled that crime is a felt experience, not just an abstract concern.
61% say they or someone they know was a victim of theft or petty crime in the past year.
24% say the same about violent crime.
70% of voters support increased police presence city-wide, and that support was highest in Districts 2, 4, 6, and 7, exceeding 75% and capturing much of East Oakland.
64% also support surveillance technology like license plate readers and cameras, which is notable following months of political wrangling and uncertainty when city council debated the renewal of its Flock contract at the end of last year.
The breadth of this consensus around public safety – across neighborhoods and political leanings – is in itself significant.
78% aren’t confident OUSD can resolve its budget crisis
According to voters, OUSD is in deep trouble.
OUSD school board has a 24% approval rating.
OUSD leadership has an 8% approval rating.
Only 3% give the district positive marks for financial management.
67% rate the quality of education as only fair or poor.
Perhaps most notable is broad support for restructuring of the district to better allocate money and resources.
57% support consolidating into fewer schools so remaining campuses have adequate resources, even if some neighborhoods lose their school.
This holds true (above 50%) in each of the seven districts.
Barbara Lee has a 37% job approval rating – and broader confidence remains thin
Oakland’s financial health and direction remains a pain point.
55% of Oakland voters say the city is headed in the wrong direction.
88% rate the city’s financial situation as only fair or poor.
When it comes to tax dollars and spending that money, it’s a similar story.
Only 26% trust the city to spend tax dollars responsibly.
70% say the taxes they pay aren’t worth the services they receive.
Mayor Lee’s numbers reflect the same sentiment. While her favorability sits at 58% (i.e. voters generally like her), only 37% think she’s doing a good job.
The gap between those two numbers suggests voters distinguish between personal regard and actual results. There’s also potential for recency bias given the stark (and welcome) difference between Mayor Lee and her predecessor Sheng Thao.
That said, 64% support Oakland’s city charter moving to a strong-mayor system, signaling they want to empower our mayor to succeed, but they also need to see results.
79% of voters want encampments cleared – and they want it done now
There is broad agreement that visible homelessness needs to be addressed, and voters are leaning toward speed over scale.
Support for clearing encampments from parks and sidewalks ranges from 66% in District 3 to 87% in District 7, where city council member Ken Houston (D7) has pushed aggressively on this front.
When forced to choose, 52% favor transitional options like shelters and tiny homes to move people indoors quickly, versus 38% who prioritize permanent supportive housing.
The pragmatic majority here isn’t opposed to long-term solutions – they just don’t want to wait for them.
63% want to build more housing – any housing – to make Oakland more affordable
The fact that this holds across all seven districts suggests a real opening for pro-housing policy that Oakland’s political leadership is yet to fully lean into.
Only 32% believe market-rate construction makes affordability worse.
Support for the pro-housing position exceeds 60% in every district, ranging from 60% in District 3 to 68% in District 7.
Final takeaway
Despite all this, Oaklanders aren’t leaving. Only 34% say they’re likely to move away, and residents remain engaged – hungry for accountability, reform, and leadership that closes the gap between what Oakland is today and what it could be.
As one resident put it: “It’s my home. I just wish it would live up to its potential.”
I was surveyed...D4. I think it is pretty reflective of how much Oakland wants change and how much we love and care about our city.
I don't trust this one bit. Wonder whom they surveyed.