94542 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
94542
94949
Opportunity
56 · Top 47%
vs53 · Bottom 47%
Growth
11 · Bottom 2%
vs15 · Bottom 4%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
36 · Bottom 29%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Housing affordability
44 · Bottom 8%
vs33 · Bottom 3%
Access
98 · Top 17%
vs88 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
69 · Top 33%
vs58 · Bottom 47%
Measured values
| Metric | 94542 | 94949 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,871 | 17,787 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $133,734 | $120,758 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,119 | $72,931 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,719/sq mi | 1,328/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,148,000 | $1,150,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,676 | $2,760 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.6% | 63.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -2.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.6% | 50.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 10.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 48 | 5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -61.0% | -16.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 75°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 16.0" | 20.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 28 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 39.2 min | 31.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.1 | 47.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 4 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 27.73 | 21.66 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.8% | 57.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
94542
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
94949
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, coastal flooding, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 94542 — Hayward, CA · 94949 — Novato, CA · How this is calculated: methodology