Overview of Findings
Apartment List has released Hayward's results from the first annual Apartment List Renter Satisfaction Survey. The survey, which drew on responses from over 18,000 renters, provides new insights into what states and cities must do to meet the needs of the 105 million American renters nationwide.
"Renters gave Hayward a below average grade for city satisfaction, despite general confidence in the local economy," says Andrew Tam, Vice President of Data Science at Apartment List. "The US renter population is at its highest level in 20 years, and Hayward renters show particularly low plans for future homeownership and strong disapproval of the local tax regime."
Key findings in Hayward include the following:
- Hayward received a C+ overall, ranking 63rd in our study out of 100 cities nationwide.
- Hayward's highest grade is an A- for confidence in the local economy: 33% of renters believe the local economy is on the right track.
- Only 42% of Hayward respondents said they plan to purchase a home in the future versus the national average of 60%. This gave the city an F in plans for homeownership, ranking 94th overall.
- Renters gave Hayward above average marks for quality of local schools, earning a B+, with 60% of respondents reporting satisfaction.
- California cities generally graded poorly for state and local taxes, and Hayward was no exception -- only 21% reported satisfaction, ranking 93rd in the nation.
- Among Northern California cities in our study, San Francisco topped the list for overall satisfaction with an A+ followed by Sacramento (A-), San Jose (B+), Hayward (C+), Santa Rosa (C), Vallejo (C), Oakland (C-), and Modesto (D).
- The top rated cities nationwide for city satisfaction were Plano, TX; Boston, MA; Arlington, VA; Austin, TX; and Torrance, CA. The lowest rated cities were Newark, NJ; New Haven, CT; Bridgeport, CT; Hartford, CT; and Columbia, SC.
A detailed report explaining the survey's methodology, analysis, and findings is available upon request. To obtain a copy, please email Andrew Tam, Apartment List's Vice President of Data Science, at andrew@apartmentlist.com.
