Median rent is 20% lower in Los Angeles ($1,879/mo vs $2,360/mo). Buying is cheaper in Hayward, where the median home runs $820,700 versus $879,500. Households earn more in Hayward ($113,775 vs $80,366 a year).
City A
Hayward, CA
City B
Los Angeles, CA
How much would you need to earn in Los Angeles, CA to maintain your standard of living from Hayward, CA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each city's metro area. A rough estimate of overall purchasing power, not tax or take-home pay.
Metric
Hayward
California
Los Angeles
California
👥Population
💰Median Household Income
Annual
🏠Median Gross Rent
Per month
🏡Median Home Value
📊Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
🔑1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🔑3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
🌬️Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
🏛️Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
🧾State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
🎂Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Los Angeles at $1,879/mo compared to $2,360/mo in Hayward (20% gap). Median home values are within 7% of each other: $820,700 in Hayward and $879,500 in Los Angeles.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
California's top income tax rate is 13.30% versus 13.30% in California, so Los Angeles is more tax-friendly for high earners. Sales tax is 7.25% in California and 7.25% in California; Los Angeles has the lower rate (local add-ons may apply in both).
Hayward
Income tax: 13.30%
Sales tax: 7.25%
Los Angeles
Income tax: 13.30%
Sales tax: 7.25%
Hayward has cleaner air on average: 40.0 AQI (Good) compared to 77.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Hayward if you prioritize higher median household income ($113,775/yr).
Pick Los Angeles if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,879/mo median).
Pick Hayward if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 40.0).
Is Hayward cheaper than Los Angeles?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Hayward vs Los Angeles?
Median rent is $2,360/mo in Hayward, CA and $1,879/mo in Los Angeles, CA. Los Angeles, CA has the lower rent by about 20%.
Which has higher salaries — Hayward or Los Angeles?
Median household income is $113,775 in Hayward, CA and $80,366 in Los Angeles, CA. Hayward, CA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Hayward, CA has better air quality on average: 40.0 AQI versus 77.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Hayward or Los Angeles?
California's top income tax rate is 13.30% and California's is 13.30%. Los Angeles, CA has the lower rate.
What salary do I need in Los Angeles to match my Hayward income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2024 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology