Michigan

Oakland

1,274,395
2020 population
1820
first census record
21
census records

About Oakland

Oakland, Michigan, first appears in the United States federal census in 1820, when it recorded a population of 330. At the most recent census, in 2020, its population stood at 1,274,395.

The county's recorded population has risen across the decades to its highest level in 2020.

On the ground today, one documented military engagement has been recorded within the county, among them Delaware Prophet Movement - Pontiac's Call to War 1763, and 86 places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Population by decade

Census YearPopulationChart
20201,274,395
20101,202,362
20001,194,156
19901,083,592
19801,011,793
1970907,871
1960690,259
1950396,001
1940254,068
1930211,251
192090,050
191049,576
190044,792
189041,245
188041,537
187040,867
186038,261
185031,270
184023,646
18304,911
1820330
Source

Population data from the United States decennial census, U.S. Census Bureau (public domain).

Battles & engagements in Oakland

Military engagements that took place in Oakland, Michigan.

Delaware Prophet Movement - Pontiac's Call to War 1763
1763

Historic places in Oakland

National Register of Historic Places listings in Oakland, Michigan.

Central School
Pontiac
Yerkes, Joseph D., House
Novi
Grinnell Brothers Music House
Pontiac
Western Knitting Mills
Rochester
Oxford Downtown Historic District
Oxford
Scripps, William Edmund and Nina A. Downey, Estate
Lake Orion
Sashabaw Presbyterian Church
Clarkston
Franklin Boulevard Historic District
Pontiac
Endicott, John & Mary Elizabeth Booth, House
Bloomfield Hills
Milford Rural Agricultural School
Milford
Lake Orion Historic District
Lake Orion
McCoy, Kittie C., House
Commerce
Clarkston Village Historic District
Clarkston Village
B and C Grocery Building
Royal Oak
Fairgrove Avenue Historic District
Pontiac
O'Dell, H. Augustus and Agnes Cleveland, House-Inch House
Bloomfield Hills
St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church, Convent, and School
Pontiac
Meadow Brook Farms
Rochester
Modern Housing Corporation Addition Historic District
Pontiac
Hirst Hotel
Holly
Apple Island Historic Archaeological Site
Orchard Lake Village
Cranbrook
Bloomfield Hills
Oak Hill Cemetery
Pontiac
Smith, Melvyn Maxwell and Sara Stein, House
Pontiac
Browse all Michiganhistoric sites ›

Other counties in Michigan

Explore census history and historic records for more Michigan counties.

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Everything a full report reveals about Oakland County, Michigan

This page charts the census history of Oakland County, Michigan. A full Aubrey report for an address here pulls together everything the historical record holds about the ground, from the earliest settlement to the twentieth century:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Frequently asked about Oakland

When does Oakland first appear in the US census?
Oakland, Michigan first appears in the federal census in 1820, with a recorded population of 330.
What is the population of Oakland?
At the most recent federal census (2020), Oakland had a recorded population of 1,274,395.
Were any battles fought in Oakland?
1 documented military engagement took place in Oakland, including Delaware Prophet Movement - Pontiac's Call to War 1763.
How many historic places are in Oakland?
86 sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Oakland, Michigan.
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