City comparison
Brentwood, CA is about 40 miles (70 km) from San Jose, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 56 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 Brentwood, CA to San Jose, CA takes about 5 min, covering roughly 40 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 Jose has a population of 1,001,176, vs 64,443 in Brentwood — about 15.5× larger by population. By land area, San Jose covers about 180 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Brentwood.
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 | Brentwood | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,451/mo | $2,526/mo | 3.1% higher in San Jose |
| Median home value | $735,500 | $1,149,600 | 56.3% higher in San Jose |
| Median household income | $134,689 | $136,010 | 1.0% higher in San Jose |
| Groceries index | 107.4 | 105.1 | 2.2% higher in Brentwood |
| Utilities index | 165.3 | 153.8 | 7.5% higher in Brentwood |
| Transportation index | 104.8 | 100.7 | 4.1% higher in Brentwood |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 100.6 | 4.1% higher in Brentwood |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Brentwood, you'd need $107,852 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Brentwood, CA is about 7.3% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 18% higher in San Jose than in Brentwood. If you earn $80,000 in Brentwood, you'd need about $86,282 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.