Newark receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Newark
Hayward
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs52 · Bottom 41%
Growth
20 · Bottom 8%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
37 · Bottom 29%
vs36 · Bottom 29%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 25%
vs46 · Bottom 8%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
80 · Top 7%
vs65 · Top 40%
Measured values
| Metric | Newark | Hayward | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 46,903 | 158,801 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $169,064 | $113,318 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $73,044 | $45,923 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,370/sq mi | 3,466/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,142,800 | $854,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,776 | $2,391 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.4% | 58.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.1% | 34.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.3% | 9.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 57 | 48 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 0.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -45.2% | -61.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 75°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 43°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 16.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.1 min | 35.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.9 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 24.63 | 21.95 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 40.2% | 73.4% | 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
Newark
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Hayward
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Newark, CA · Hayward, CA · How this is calculated: methodology