City comparison
Apple Valley, CA is about 375 miles (600 km) from Sacramento, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 450 miles, or about 7 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 Apple Valley, CA to Sacramento, CA takes about 44 min, covering roughly 375 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 75,603 in Apple Valley — about 6.9× larger by population. By land area, Sacramento covers about 99 sq mi vs 77 sq mi for Apple Valley.
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 | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,297/mo | $1,592/mo | 22.7% higher in Sacramento |
| Median home value | $345,400 | $450,500 | 30.4% higher in Sacramento |
| Median household income | $62,898 | $78,954 | 25.5% higher in Sacramento |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 105.1 | 3.3% higher in Sacramento |
| Utilities index | 146.5 | 148.9 | 1.6% higher in Sacramento |
| 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 $101,479 in Sacramento to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Apple Valley, CA is about 1.5% cheaper overall than Sacramento, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Sacramento than in Apple Valley. If you earn $80,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need about $81,183 in Sacramento to keep the same standard of living.