Hayward, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hayward, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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B
Income Around average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Hayward | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 153,435 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2392.7 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.21% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.4 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 47,526 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hayward grew by 9.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 153,435 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hayward is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 25.6% of residents. That is 2.0 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 33,106 21.6% -0.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 39,309 25.6% +2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 32,657 21.3% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 20,891 13.6% -1.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.9% of the people living in Hayward and men 50.1%.
- Women 49.9% California 49.9%
- Men 50.1% California 50.1%
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Economy
Hayward has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Hayward | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $113,608 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.50% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hayward is about 15% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Hayward | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $634,595 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,385 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.2% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hayward is about 22.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,385 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hayward spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 257 hours, about 10.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hayward | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.8 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.7 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 257 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,967 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 44,807 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,916 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Hayward is 31 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Hayward has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hayward | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.3% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.16 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Hayward has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Hayward | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Hayward, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
Hayward, CA is the largest of the 4 cities compared here, 153,435 residents against a local median of 28,612. Hayward, CA's median home price, at $634,595, runs 25% above the $506,984 typical of the cities around it.
The cities themselves spread $557,694 on median home price, so Hayward, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hayward, CA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward, CA | 153,435 | $113,608 #2/4 | $634,595 #2/4 | 30.8 min #3/4 |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 28,612 | $111,304 | $241,499 | 27.6 min |
| Ashland, CA | 22,071 | $83,561 | $506,984 | 28.4 min |
| Union City, CA | 67,563 | $136,472 | $799,193 | 31.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hayward, California.
What is the population of Hayward, California?
About 153,435 people live in Hayward, California, in 47,526 households of 3.2 people on average. The median age is 36.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Hayward, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hayward, California has 2,393 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 28 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Hayward, California?
The median home costs 5.6 times the median household income ($634,595 against $113,608), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,385 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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