ZIP Code 94542

ZIP code 94542 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 14.8 square miles in Hayward, Alameda County, California. The area is home to 12,717 residents, producing a population density of 861 people per square mile, and falls within the Los Angeles time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 94542 against California and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 94542 sits at $133,734 (32% above the California average), while per-capita income is $63,119. The poverty rate stands at 7.6% and the unemployment rate at 8.1%. On housing, the median home value is $1,148,000 (49% above the state average) with median rent at $2,676 per month, and 72.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 94542 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 48.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.1, and the average commute is 35 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Alameda County, so you can benchmark 94542 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →