Hayward vs Westminster
The short version
- Westminster 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 $858,300 in Westminster.
- Households earn more in Hayward ($113,318 vs $85,541 median).
- Westminster has the warmer winter: January highs of 69°F vs 59°F.
- Westminster has more scorching days: 39 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 9.
- Commutes are shorter in Westminster (27 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Hayward, CA | Westminster, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 157,113 | 88,966 |
| Growth since 2020 | -3.6% | -2% |
| People per square mile | 3,429 | 8,862 |
| Median age | 38.6 | 43.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 26% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $113,318 | $85,541 |
| Median home value | $854,400 | $858,300 |
| Home value to income | 7.5× | 10.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $2,391 | $2,168 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 115.6 | 113.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 194.7 | 170.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $86,700 | $85,200 |
| Homeowners | 58% | 53% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 32.3 | 27.0 |
| Work from home | 14% | 12% |
| Take public transit | 4% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.3% | 7.2% |
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 14.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 43° | 69° / 46° |
| July high / low | 75° / 57° | 84° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 16 in | 12 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 9 | 39 |
| Nights below freezing | 1 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 9 | 11 |
| 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 | n/a | 11% |
| Home prices, past year | -4.8% | +3.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +8.2% | +45.5% |
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: Hayward: March to November. Westminster: September to July.
Full monthly tables: Hayward weather by month and Westminster weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $86,700 in Hayward and $85,200 in Westminster. Moving from Hayward to Westminster, you would need about $73,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Hayward and Westminster
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Hayward and Westminster.
Which would you pick?
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