Population 156,137 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hayward
Household size in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.27 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.31 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.36 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.24 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Hayward is a place of big households: 3.24 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Households are largest in the south and smallest in the northeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.5 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.3 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.6 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.5 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.0 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Hayward are younger than 39.5 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in the San Francisco area overall, where the median age is 41.3. The median age has climbed from 34.5 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.6% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Hayward than nationally: 10.6%, against 11.6%. Locally, though, single parents are more common here than in the San Francisco area overall (8.8%). The single-parent share is down 6.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Hayward
Renters in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.5% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 48.7% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.0% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 43.1% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in Hayward than nationally: 43.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 31.5% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the south. The renter share is down 2.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Hayward: 5.9% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 4.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Hayward run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1972 against 1980. Even so, homes here are newer than in the San Francisco area overall, where the median home dates to 1968. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,337 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,440 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,937 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,573 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,236 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Hayward runs $2,573 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,236 a month since 2006–10, up 92%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 32.3% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Hayward
Bachelor's degrees in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.6% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.5% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.6% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.9% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.3 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly a third of adults 25 and older in Hayward (31.9%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 10.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.3% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.7% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.0% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.4% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Hayward never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.1 points, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Hayward
| Period | Hayward | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Hayward: 6.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 5.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Hayward compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward | 3.24 | 39.5 | 10.6% | 43.1% | 5.9% | 1972 | $2,573 | 31.9% | 80.4% | 6.2% |
| Cherryland | 3.06 | 40.2 | 10.5% | 62.3% | 6.3% | 1965 | $2,176 | 18.9% | 74.5% | 5.2% |
| Fairview | 2.98 | 43.2 | 6.6% | 27.0% | 5.9% | 1972 | $2,801 | 46.4% | 89.6% | 5.7% |
| San Lorenzo | 3.42 | 42.3 | 8.6% | 23.5% | 4.5% | 1954 | $2,537 | 25.2% | 83.0% | 5.2% |
| Ashland | 2.97 | 37.0 | 18.9% | 65.1% | 5.8% | 1963 | $2,194 | 21.9% | 79.4% | 6.8% |
| Castro Valley | 2.90 | 43.5 | 8.8% | 28.4% | 5.2% | 1968 | $2,817 | 45.3% | 92.0% | 3.9% |
| Union City | 3.24 | 43.1 | 7.7% | 33.9% | 4.4% | 1980 | $2,776 | 46.0% | 86.7% | 5.4% |
| San Leandro | 2.93 | 43.1 | 9.9% | 41.8% | 5.7% | 1960 | $2,366 | 33.6% | 82.2% | 5.0% |
| Newark | 3.12 | 38.6 | 6.8% | 30.6% | 5.5% | 1981 | $2,813 | 49.8% | 89.9% | 4.3% |
| Fremont | 2.92 | 40.4 | 6.1% | 39.4% | 5.9% | 1980 | $3,066 | 64.2% | 93.0% | 4.5% |
| Sunol | 2.80 | 48.3 | 4.5% | 11.8% | 7.5% | 1970 | $3,312 | 63.1% | 97.9% | 7.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Duluth, MN · Dublin, CA · Dalton, GA · Denton, TX · Dallas, GA · Davie, FL · Compton, CA · Columbus, OH · Dallas, TX · Conyers, GA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Hayward. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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