Should I Move To
Roughly 160,602 people live in Hayward, California. Living here costs very expensive relative to the rest of the country, 49% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,260/mo; the typical household pulls in $105,371. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 52/100 — a C-, putting it at #438 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Hayward sits at 149 — very expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($2,260/mo against $105,371 median household income), housing eats roughly 26% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $775,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is mild: roughly 72°F in summer, 43°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 19 inches. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. Reported crime is somewhat above average, though specific neighborhoods vary widely. AQI runs about 47 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Hayward isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 41/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is climate (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (2/100).
For retirees, Hayward isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 49/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is climate (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (2/100).
For remote workers, Hayward isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 41/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is climate (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (2/100).
For young professionals, Hayward is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 58/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is climate (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (2/100).
Our overall score for Hayward is 52/100 — a C-, sitting at #438 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Hayward sits at 149 — very expensive, 49% above the national average. Median renter pays around $2,260 a month.
Hayward runs mild on the weather. Summer's near 72°F, winter's near 43°F; 19 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 66/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 160,602 people live here, with 31% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 38.
Drop Hayward into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Hayward with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.