City comparison
Apple Valley, CA is about 150 miles (250 km) from El Centro, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 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 Apple Valley, CA to El Centro, CA takes about 18 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Apple Valley has a population of 75,603, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Apple Valley covers about 77 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for El Centro.
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 | Apple Valley | El Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,297/mo | $938/mo | 38.3% higher in Apple Valley |
| Median home value | $345,400 | $266,500 | 29.6% higher in Apple Valley |
| Median household income | $62,898 | $54,922 | 14.5% higher in Apple Valley |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 105.1 | 3.3% higher in El Centro |
| Utilities index | 146.5 | 154.3 | 5.3% higher in El Centro |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 100.7 | 0.9% higher in Apple Valley |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 100.6 | 0.9% higher in Apple Valley |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need $79,042 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 21% cheaper overall than Apple Valley, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 89% higher in Apple Valley than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need about $63,234 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.