City comparison
Alameda, CA is about 70 miles (125 km) from Sacramento, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Alameda, CA to Sacramento, CA takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Sacramento has a population of 523,600, vs 77,565 in Alameda — about 6.8× larger by population. By land area, Sacramento covers about 99 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Alameda.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Alameda | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,301/mo | $1,592/mo | 44.5% higher in Alameda |
| Median home value | $1,147,600 | $450,500 | 154.7% higher in Alameda |
| Median household income | $129,917 | $78,954 | 64.5% higher in Alameda |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 105.1 | 2.9% higher in Alameda |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 148.9 | 13.0% higher in Alameda |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 100.7 | 5.4% higher in Alameda |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 100.6 | 5.4% higher in Alameda |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Alameda, you'd need $79,239 in Sacramento to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sacramento, CA is about 20.8% cheaper overall than Alameda, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 49% higher in Alameda than in Sacramento. If you earn $80,000 in Alameda, you'd need about $63,391 in Sacramento to keep the same standard of living.