City comparison
Hayward, CA is about 325 miles (500 km) from Los Angeles, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 400 miles, or about 6 h 45 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Hayward, CA to Los Angeles, CA takes about 39 min, covering roughly 325 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Los Angeles has a population of 3,881,041, vs 160,602 in Hayward — about 24.2× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 46 sq mi for Hayward.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Hayward | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,260/mo | $1,791/mo | 26.2% higher in Hayward |
| Median home value | $775,700 | $822,600 | 6.0% higher in Los Angeles |
| Median household income | $105,371 | $76,244 | 38.2% higher in Hayward |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 106.4 | 1.6% higher in Hayward |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 151.7 | 10.9% higher in Hayward |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 104.0 | 2.0% higher in Hayward |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 104.3 | 1.6% higher in Hayward |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Hayward, you'd need $91,166 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 8.8% cheaper overall than Hayward, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% higher in Hayward than in Los Angeles. If you earn $80,000 in Hayward, you'd need about $72,933 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.