City comparison
Apple Valley, CA is about 30 miles (40 km) from San Bernardino, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 34 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 San Bernardino, CA takes about 3 min, covering roughly 30 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.
San Bernardino has a population of 221,041, vs 75,603 in Apple Valley — about 2.9× larger by population. By land area, Apple Valley covers about 77 sq mi vs 62 sq mi for San Bernardino.
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 | San Bernardino | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,297/mo | $1,319/mo | 1.7% higher in San Bernardino |
| Median home value | $345,400 | $347,100 | 0.5% higher in San Bernardino |
| Median household income | $62,898 | $61,323 | 2.6% higher in Apple Valley |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 100.5 | 1.1% higher in Apple Valley |
| Utilities index | 146.5 | 143.3 | 2.2% higher in Apple Valley |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 101.1 | ≈ equal (Apple Valley slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 102.0 | ≈ equal (San Bernardino slightly higher) |
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 $99,596 in San Bernardino to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Apple Valley and San Bernardino have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need about $79,677 in San Bernardino to keep the same standard of living.