City comparison
Apple Valley, CA is about 80 miles (125 km) from Indio, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 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 Indio, CA takes about 9 min, covering roughly 80 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.
Indio has a population of 89,616, vs 75,603 in Apple Valley — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Apple Valley covers about 77 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Indio.
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 | Indio | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,297/mo | $1,344/mo | 3.6% higher in Indio |
| Median home value | $345,400 | $373,200 | 8.0% higher in Indio |
| Median household income | $62,898 | $68,436 | 8.8% higher in Indio |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 101.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 146.5 | 146.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 101.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 101.5 | ≈ equal |
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 $100,120 in Indio to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Apple Valley and Indio have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need about $80,096 in Indio to keep the same standard of living.