This isn’t to say that Hayward is going to be cheap, mind you, but compared to the Bay Area behemoths around it, Hayward is survivable. Rent in Hayward is one of the most affordable within an hour drive of Downtown San Francisco. Commuting from Hayward is pretty simple on account of its proximity to BART (Bay Area Railway Transit) which gets you to downtown Oakland or San Francisco without switching lines.

A local's note about costs in Hayward: 
*I live in the Hayward Hills and we bought here because of the CCAs, low HOAs, and planned communities make it very scenic. Someone compared it to Woodlands, CA on the peninsula. Also, my husband was reared here.*

*There has been a major rejuvenation recently with the new federal administration. Lots of demo and building along Mission Blvd which used to be a sea of unsightly used car lots or vacant buildings. Could it be that the City of Hayward Building Division is finally releasing its grip of red tape?*

The Bay on a "Budget"

The Best Thing About Hayward

Those who are used to cities with a lot of excitement in-town are going to need to familiarize themselves with BART for more than just commuting if you choose to live in Hayward. There isn’t much to do here for young professionals. Things don’t get all that much better for families, with not much to do with the kids after school either. Speaking of schools, public schools in Hayward are hit or miss and many families elect to send their children to private schools in the area.

Here's a local with a mixed review about Hayward: *Not going to lie there’s not much to do IN Hayward, but downtown sometimes throws street festivals during summer that can be entertaining. Other than that you’re pretty much in the middle of the bay area so there’s so much to do outside of Hayward.*

Not the Bay You’re Thinking Of

The Worst Thing About Hayward

Residents say that living in Hayward is like living in a dense suburb. It’s more sprawling than the urban meccas around it, but without the nightlife options. Hayward does have decent dining options that locals love and support. Unlike other areas with the term “suburb” attached to them, Hayward is incredibly diverse and residents claim it is extremely welcoming to people from all races/ethnicities/geographies. The city has made pushes to build out a vibrant Downtown Hayward, but locals will tell you that significant strides are needed to address a run down infrastructure and prevalent homeless population (very common for California cities). 

To see what locals get up to in Hayward check out the calendar of events: 
https://www.eventbrite.com/d/ca--hayward/events--today/


Lifestyle of Hayward

If you’re looking to move to the Bay Area and don’t want to cough up thousands per month on rent, or multi-millions on buying a home, Hayward should be on your shortlist. In fact, it may realistically be the only option you’ll get to consider if you’re managing a limited budget. 


California On A Budget

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Hayward is not an obvious place for young professionals or young couples to choose. Ridiculous prices in San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco though drive people to live wherever they can afford. For this reason, Hayward does get some SINKs/DINKs looking to make a go of it within reasonable distance from a major set of cities. Downtown Hayward has a pretty cool older historic district near the BART station. These blocks are filled with nice older cottage style homes and Victorians and big beautiful trees. This is also where there are apartment/condo options for those who want to walk to BART and avoid any daily driving. If you’re young and looking this is likely where you’ll start your search. 
- Downtown
- North Hayward
- Burbank


Young Professionals/DINKs/SINKs

Downtown

One of the newer neighborhoods in Hayward is Eden Shore. The homes were mostly built in the last few years and so everything is modern and fresh and for the area, affordable. While Hayward does not have the best school ratings overall in the Bay Area, this is one of the areas that have the better public school options. It’s a master planned community with some views of the Bay Area. It has a beautiful community park with basketball, tennis courts and a great path along the shoreline. There is an older section of Eden Shore with homes built a couple decades ago with homes that range in the million dollar range so there is some variety of pricey and “reasonable” by Norcal standards.
- Mt Eden/Eden Shores
- Hayward Highland
- Mission-Foothill


Families

Mt Eden/Eden Shores

Hayward

**What is it like to live in Hayward, CA?**

Haven’t lived in Hayward in about 20 years. But I grew up there and my dad still lives there in the same home I grew up in. It depends on where you live. Folks have mentioned the downtown…it has gotten pretty nice. If you live north and a bit east of there it’s decent. West Hayward, near Chabot College is very reminiscent of how it was in the 80s…lots of the old residents from my childhood are still there…it has an old neighborhood feel. South Hayward, had problems in the past in the Tennyson area…gangs, crime, urban blight…yeah; sort of rough there.

You will be in the middle of the East Bay. There are two (?) Bart Stations…the San Mateo Bridge to the Peninsula. You’re 10 - 30 minutes from Oakland. 20 - 45 minutes from Pleasanton. 30 - 60 minutes from San Jose. The Oakland Airport is about 20 minutes away and the San Jose Airport about 30.

I would consider it, definitely…especially if you’re going to work in the East Bay or in San Francisco.

**What is it like to live in Hayward, CA?**

I live in the Hayward Hills and we bought here because of as he CCAs, low HOAs, and planned communities make it very scenic. Someone compared it to Woodlands, CA on the peninsula. Also, my husband was reared here.

There has been a major rejuvenation recently with the new federal administration. Lots of demo and building along Mission Blvd which used to be a sea of unsightly used car lots or vacant buildings. Could it be that the City of Hayward Building Division is finally releasing its grip of red tape?

The rents and home prices remain among the lowest in the bay area mainly due to its abysmal public school system. When citizens’ inquire, the city council is quick to reply that the school district does not fall under their supervision. I find this quite ironic as Fremont Unified School District is very strictly governed by the City of Fremont City Council. I know firsthand as a teacher in FUSD.

As a result, families in my neighborhood send their children to the local Catholic schools including Moreau HS. Others transfer their children to neighboring Castro Valley USD which has strong schools. My husband (reared in the Fairway Park area) was fortunate to attend schools in New Haven USD.



**Would you recommend living in Hayward or Fremont in the Bay area?**

Fremont was my choice 47 years ago and I feel the same way today. The housing options, the location, the safety and any number of other factors all weigh in favor of Fremont. Housing costs are higher in Fremont that may make Hayward more attractive. Traffic is bad in both cities. Neither city has great night life options. Fremont has a much better K-12 school system, with one of the highest rated high schools in the country, but Hayward has California East Bay State College (formerly Hayward State College). Both cities have an excellent community college. Fremont has a lower crime rate and is one of the safest cities with a population of over 100,000 in the United States, but both have excellent police departments. Both have very good medical facilities and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) serves both cities.

**Advice about Living in Hayward**

RE: Can you still buy a house for $500k in the Bay Area? (Sep 6, 2019)
I don’t know if you can get a house in Hayward for $500Kish, but if you can, I would at least check it out. I have lived in Hayward for the past 17 years (rented in Berkeley before that), and given my modest income I LOVE it. Despite the low ratings, there are several good schools in Hayward. I know tons of kids who have gone through Stonebrae Elem/Bret Harte Middle/Hayward High and have thrived, but there are also other strong schools, so don’t limit yourself to those attendance areas. HHS and Mt Eden HS have lots of AP options and programs for all types of kids, including high achieving ones, musicians and artists. Burbank Elem and Stonebrae Elem have dual immersion programs and higher test scores than other schools. Both buildings are fairly new. I can not vouch for the special ed dept. I fear your child would be underserved, but I really don’t know. There are a bunch of charter schools at the high school level and a very popular Montessori charter that starts at 1st grade. Since you spend time here, you probably know that Hayward is very diverse (majority Latino and many racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups represented) and also very liberal. It’s a union town, sanctuary city and very accepting in general. We have an awesome gay prom every year, just for the record! Like many gentrifying and blue collar cities, homelessness is a problem. The city council is working on it, but not making huge headway. We have a good farmer’s market, brand new library and small downtown with new restaurants and things to do. If I were a millionaire plus, then maybe I would choose to live in N Berkeley (my old hood), but on my income, Iiving in hayward means I have enough cash after paying the mortgage to take a few vacations, do some shopping, go to theater in the city, etc without breaking the bank. Good luck!

In a local review ranking the most underrated cities in the Bay Area one local notes:
*The reason Concord and Hayward tie is because both cities are well connected to Public transport, offer diversity, but with safer than average streets, that's really nice. Concord is only 30 miles from SF, 22 miles from Oakland/Berkeley, and has two BART stations. Hayward on the other hand is literally the best located suburb in the Bay Area. 30 miles from SF, 30 miles from San Jose and 20 miles from Oakland/Berkeley, and it has a beautiful waterfront on the bay.*



Hayward, California

Heart of the Bay

Looklyloo Score: 78

We're on it!