| Measure | HaywardCalifornia, United States Remove Hayward | Santa RosaCalifornia, United States Remove Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Scores (out of 10) | ||
| Overall score | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Connector Score | 8.5 | 7.7 |
| Safety | 6.3 | 7.3 |
| Affordability | 1.2 | 2.4 |
| Transportation | 8.5 | 7.0 |
| Car-free friendliness | 6.0 | 4.0 |
| Walkability | 5.1 | 5.0 |
| Things to do | 6.5 | 6.4 |
| Food & dining | 5.9 | 4.9 |
| Places to stay | 6.1 | 5.9 |
| Nature & outdoors | 5.5 | 7.5 |
| Scenic value | 5.5 | 7.3 |
| Family friendliness | 4.8 | 5.5 |
| Solo-traveler friendliness | 5.2 | 5.5 |
| Nightlife | 4.8 | 4.7 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| Road-trip convenience | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Train-trip convenience | 7.8 | 1.0 |
| Bus-trip convenience | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Cost (per person per day, USD) | ||
| Budget | $138 | $168 |
| Mid-range | $200 | $263 |
| Luxury | $327 | $523 |
| Living there | ||
| Cost of living index (national = 100) | 175 | 145 |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent | $2,500 | $2,200 |
| Population | 157K | 179K |
| Getting there | ||
| Accessible by | Drive Train Airport | Drive Ferry Airport |
| Car recommended | — | — |
| Travel time from Hayward | — | 1 h 30 min details |
| Character | ||
| Best for | — | Outdoors, Wine country |
| Known for | Mountains & hiking, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Food scene, Live music, Shopping | Mountains & hiking, National & state parks, Lakes & rivers, Museums & galleries, Historic sites, Wineries & breweries, Live music |
| When to go | Peak: Spring to fall and weekdays with busine… | Peak: Harvest season and summer weekends push… |
Scores and costs are estimates from public data and our own research; check the city pages for sources and dates.