City comparison
Hayward, CA is about 70 miles (125 km) from Sacramento, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 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 Sacramento, CA takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 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.
Sacramento has a population of 523,600, vs 160,602 in Hayward — about 3.3× larger by population. By land area, Sacramento covers about 99 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 | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,260/mo | $1,592/mo | 42.0% higher in Hayward |
| Median home value | $775,700 | $450,500 | 72.2% higher in Hayward |
| Median household income | $105,371 | $78,954 | 33.5% higher in Hayward |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 105.1 | 2.9% higher in Hayward |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 148.9 | 13.0% higher in Hayward |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 100.7 | 5.4% higher in Hayward |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 100.6 | 5.4% 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 $79,303 in Sacramento to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sacramento, CA is about 20.7% cheaper overall than Hayward, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 49% higher in Hayward than in Sacramento. If you earn $80,000 in Hayward, you'd need about $63,442 in Sacramento to keep the same standard of living.