The City of Alameda offers a taste of island life in the Bay Area. Spanning two islands in the bay, just beyond the shoreline of Oakland, Alameda is a suburban city with a small-town feel and a relatively diverse population.

The city itself is one of the major employers in town, but the biggest private employers are in medicine and healthcare. In the past, Alameda was a shipping hub and also home to a Naval Air Station that closed in 1997. While some shipyard work remains, other companies have been eager to use these industrial spaces, which has led to small booms in video production, brewing, fermentation, and distillery.

While Alameda is not the quickest paced city in the Bay Area, it still has lots of culture: indie bookstores, great restaurants, stand-out ice cream spots, a much-beloved tiki bar and an art deco-style movie theater. Plus it’s right across the water from downtown Oakland. Working in Alameda can offer the convenience of city life while keeping city hassles at a minimum.

If you’re looking for a job in Alameda, this guide has everything you need to know about getting to work, wages, cost of living, coffee shops, lunch specials, happy hours, and coworking spaces.

Getting to Work

Transportation options in Alameda may not be numerous, but they offer some flexibility. A solid 16% of commuters use public transit. The AC Transit bus lines are easily accessible from BART stations in Oakland, and express buses to and from San Francisco are available too. The ferry lines service Oakland, as well as San Francisco’s Ferry Building and South San Francisco, with occasional trips further north to Richmond and Vallejo.

The City of Alameda has two main commercial areas on the East and West ends, which are fairly walkable, and receive a walking score of 64 and 72 respectively. There is a bike and pedestrian bridge that leads from Alameda to Bay Farm Island, and the city has paved bike trails as well as bike lanes for commuters. Still, 76% of commuters drive to and from work, because traffic is fairly light in Alameda.

Curious about the cost of your commute? Calculate commute time and costs here.

Wages in Alameda

Alameda does not have its own Minimum Wage ordinance, which means that it follows the California state minimum wage. As of May 2016, the minimum wage in California is $10.00 per hour. In April 2016, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that will increase the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022. Be sure to check the CA.gov website for the most up-to-date minimum wage information. 

The median household income in Alameda is $76,439, impressionably higher than the national average of $53,046. The median individual income is $40,180.

Cost of Living in Alameda

There’s no doubt about it, Alameda is an expensive place to live. As of May 2016, the median home sale price in Alameda is $799,000 and the median rent price is $4,000 per month.

Eating and Drinking in Alameda

Whether you need to get caffeinated in the morning or wind down after work, there’s no shortage of restaurants, bars, and cafes to try in Alameda. Grab a coffee before work at Julie’s Coffee and Tea Garden, Cafe Jolie, and Awaken Cafe. Eat lunch at Burma Superstar, Scolari’s, and Yojimbo. Meet your friends after work for happy hour at Speisekammer, the Hobnob, or Wine & Waffles.

Coworking Spaces in Alameda

For freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses, coworking is a great option. A coworking community can offer you flexibility, conference space access, and a network of new co-workers with whom to share office supplies and great ideas. There are very few coworking spaces in Alameda, but if you take a short drive to Oakland check out The Port Workspaces, Pacific Workplaces, and Impact Hub. You can also look on Liquidspace, a searchable database of monthly and hourly workspaces.

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