ZIP Code 94542 — Hayward city, CA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 94542 covers Hayward, CA in Alameda County with a population of about 14,729.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 42.7 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 341, 510; U.S. House district CA-14; the SAN FRANCISCO - OAK - SAN JOSE media market.

Hayward, CA sits in a university / college context (near california state university-east bay (0.9 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 94542 is about $131,989 — about 76% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 8.7%; unemployment rate near 9.5%; 48.1% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 14.4 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Professional services, Healthcare, and Education; about 20.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 5.0 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $1,085,900 — about 212% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $2,389 (about 105% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 71.7% (about 6.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 94542 in Hayward, CA, a household would need roughly $299,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $6,976. That is about 127% above the local median household income ($131,989), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Hayward city, CA as Very High (composite score 99.8), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (99.7) and wildfire (97.7). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Hayward city, CA show little to no average snow and around 16.0 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 725 for ZIP 94542 (Hayward city, CA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.