Castro Valley vs Hayward
Castro Valley, California versus Hayward, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Castro Valley and Hayward score about the same overall (47 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Castro Valley | Hayward |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $132k | $105k |
| Cost of Living | $74k | $74k |
| Home Value | $1.0M | $776k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.72% | 0.67% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.71% | 21.14% |
| Unemployment | 3.9% | 5.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 50°F | 50°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 21.8 in | 16.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 261 days | 261 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 205 days | 203 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 81.8 | 86.0 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 36 AQI |
| School Quality | 82.1 | 87.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1480/100k | 653/100k |
| Property Crime | 4166/100k | 2916/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 65,444 | 160,602 |
| Median Age | 42.7 | 37.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.70 | 0.78 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 1.05 |
| Political Leaning | D+64 | D+64 |
| White (%) | 36.8% | 14.6% |
| Black (%) | 8.6% | 8.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 17.1% | 39.7% |
| Asian (%) | 31.4% | 29.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.1% | 7.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 34 min | 34 min |
| Walkability | 12.6/20 | 13.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 8 mi | 12 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.3% | 92.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 46.45 | 25.84 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Castro Valley or Hayward more affordable?
- Hayward has the lower cost of living: its index is $74k, compared with Castro Valley's $74k and Hayward's $74k. Median rent is $2k in Castro Valley versus $2k in Hayward.
- Is Castro Valley or Hayward safer?
- Hayward has the lower violent crime rate. Castro Valley reports 1480/100k and Hayward reports 653/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Castro Valley or Hayward?
- The median home value is $1.0M in Castro Valley and $776k in Hayward, so homes are more affordable in Hayward.