California · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area

Buying a home in Hayward, California

In Hayward, the median value of owner-occupied homes is $854,400, Alameda County's effective property tax rate is 0.78%, a purchase mortgage carried a median $7,758 in total loan costs in 2025, and median gross rent is $2,391 a month.

Data as of : Census ACS 2020-2024, Census Vintage 2024, HMDA 2025, HUD FY 2027. Sources

Hayward home costs, fact by fact

About Hayward

With 158,440 residents, Hayward is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, ranked 13th among U.S. metro areas. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Alameda County is $2,805, while the median gross rent in the city is $2,391 per month.

Reading the Hayward figures

Hayward's median value of $854,400 lands above the state's $770,700 but well below Alameda County's $1,090,100. Fullerton reports $902,600. San Diego reports $906,700. Los Angeles reports $921,200. Each is higher. Oakland reports $929,900. Orange reports $945,800, higher still. Anaheim's $831,200 and Ventura's $827,300 sit just below Hayward, and Simi Valley is near $823,800. Garden Grove follows with $814,100. Long Beach is lower, near $806,600. Concord is lower again, near $797,600. That makes Hayward the upper-middle of the group it is compared with here.

Rent works against the usual pattern. Hayward's median of $2,391 beats Orange's $2,327. San Diego charges $2,313, Concord $2,274. Oakland asks only $1,979. Los Angeles asks $1,933. Long Beach asks $1,871. Only Simi Valley, at $2,579, is higher among the cities named. HUD's Oakland-Fremont benchmark reads $2,805 for smaller homes and $3,592 for larger ones, and both exceed the city's median. HUD publishes that benchmark for an area, so it should not be mistaken for a market median.

Ownership is where Hayward looks different from Oakland. Its owner share is 58%. Oakland's is 42.3%. Los Angeles's is 36%. Long Beach's is 41.2%. It is near Ventura's 55.9% and Orange's 56.7%, lower than Concord at 61.6%, and well under Simi Valley at 72.9%. Hayward therefore leans toward owner-occupied housing, even though its rents are among the higher ones in this group.

Alameda County sets the tax picture. The county's median bill is $8,474 and its effective rate reaches 0.78%, worked out on county homes valued at $1,090,100. Hayward's owners estimate their homes below that county figure, so a typical bill in the city may come in under $8,474. That is an inference from the county numbers, not a Hayward measurement. The gap between Hayward's $854,400 and the county's $1,090,100 is the main reason a typical bill may be lower. The same caution applies to everything here: each value is an owner's estimate and no sale price appears.

Loan costs look moderate when set against the larger counties of Southern California. In Alameda County, 8,025 loans in 2025 centered on $7,758, and costs mostly ran between $6,383 and $10,488. A quote far outside that range deserves a second look and a conversation with the lender.

Hayward's population of 158,440 outweighs Fullerton, Orange and Concord. A last comparison helps, because Hayward's rent is higher than both while its value is lower than Orange's: Concord has a lower value, $797,600, but also lower rent at $2,274 and a higher owner share at 61.6%. Orange has a higher value, $945,800, with rent of $2,327 and an owner share of 56.7%. Hayward's mix of $854,400, $2,391 and 58% sits between them on price and above them on rent.

Calculate for California

If you buy

California state transfer tax

California has no state transfer tax; counties and cities may charge one.

Price$770,700
State transfer taxnot computed
Who paysSet by the purchase contract

Default price: the California median value of owner-occupied homes, $770,700 (Census ACS 2025). Not computed: No state tax. The tax is set by county and city, so it cannot be computed from the state alone. Who pays: Neither the state statute nor the City of Los Angeles FAQ assigns the tax; the purchase contract and escrow instructions decide. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. California transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: California state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Questions about buying a home in Hayward

How much is property tax in Hayward?

Homeowners in Alameda County pay a median $8,474 a year in property tax, 0.78% of the county median home value of $1,090,100 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Your bill depends on your assessed value and local rates.

What are closing costs on a mortgage in Hayward?

Home-purchase mortgages in Alameda County carried median total loan costs of $7,758 in 2025; half of the 8,025 loans fell between $6,383 and $10,488 (HMDA). Total loan costs are the lender and settlement-service charges of the Closing Disclosure; transfer taxes and prepaid items come on top.

Is there a transfer tax when you buy a home in Hayward?

California has no state transfer tax. Counties may charge $0.55 per $500 of value under the Documentary Transfer Tax Act, and cities such as Los Angeles add their own, with Measure ULA adding 4% or 5.5% on very high-priced sales.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hayward?

It depends on your mortgage rate, down payment and how long you stay. As a benchmark, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Hayward ($854,400) equals 29.8 years of the median gross rent ($2,391 a month), both from Census ACS 2020-2024.

What natural hazards affect home insurance in Hayward?

Across California, the main hazards for home insurance are earthquake, wildfire, flood and landslide, and the insurer of last resort is California FAIR Plan. A standard California homeowners policy does not cover earthquake damage; insurers must offer earthquake coverage (Insurance Code 10081), and the FAIR Plan sells limited fire coverage up to $3 million for residential policyholders.

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California rules that apply in Hayward

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Sources

California · All states · Federal guides