Durham, NC vs Hayward, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Durham

69.4

#1213 nationally

Hayward

61.7

#1891 nationally

Hayward leads in walk score (57 vs 33). Durham leads in cost of living index (102 vs 173). Hayward leads in median household income ($105,371 vs $67,432).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Durham, NC	Hayward, CA
WhereAtHome Score	69.4 (#1213)	61.7 (#1891)
Population	283,506	155,675
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$395,976	$831,558
Median Household Income	$67,432	$105,371
Average Commute	22.8 min	34.2 min
Walk Score	33	57
Crime Level	Moderate	13.1
School Rating	6.4	N/A
Cost of Living Index	102	173
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+61.9	D+53.6