Costa Mesa vs Hayward
The short version
- Costa Mesa is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Hayward area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $854,400 in Hayward and $1,115,100 in Costa Mesa.
- Costa Mesa has the warmer winter: January highs of 67°F vs 59°F.
- Commutes are shorter in Costa Mesa (22 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Costa Mesa, CA | Hayward, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 108,881 | 157,113 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.9% | -3.6% |
| People per square mile | 6,889 | 3,429 |
| Median age | 36.7 | 38.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $111,505 | $113,318 |
| Median home value | $1,115,100 | $854,400 |
| Home value to income | 10.0× | 7.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,446 | $2,391 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 113.6 | 115.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 170.4 | 194.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $85,200 | $86,700 |
| Homeowners | 40% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 32.3 |
| Work from home | 22% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.7% | 6.3% |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 67° / 49° | 59° / 43° |
| July high / low | 79° / 66° | 75° / 57° |
| Precipitation per year | 11 in | 16 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 13 | 9 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 1 |
| Comfortable months | 12 | 9 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.8 | 99.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 11% | n/a |
| Home prices, past year | +3.3% | -4.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +45.5% | +8.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Costa Mesa: January to December. Hayward: March to November.
Full monthly tables: Costa Mesa weather by month and Hayward weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $85,200 in Costa Mesa and $86,700 in Hayward. Moving from Costa Mesa to Hayward, you would need about $76,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Costa Mesa and Hayward
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Costa Mesa and Hayward.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.