City comparison
Burbank, CA is about 350 miles (550 km) from Sacramento, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 425 miles, or about 7 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 Burbank, CA to Sacramento, CA takes about 42 min, covering roughly 350 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 106,389 in Burbank — about 4.9× larger by population. By land area, Sacramento covers about 99 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Burbank.
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 | Burbank | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,004/mo | $1,592/mo | 25.9% higher in Burbank |
| Median home value | $959,700 | $450,500 | 113.0% higher in Burbank |
| Median household income | $91,455 | $78,954 | 15.8% higher in Burbank |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Burbank |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 148.9 | 4.5% higher in Burbank |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 100.7 | 3.7% higher in Burbank |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.6 | 3.7% higher in Burbank |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Burbank, you'd need $86,306 in Sacramento to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sacramento, CA is about 13.7% cheaper overall than Burbank, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Burbank than in Sacramento. If you earn $80,000 in Burbank, you'd need about $69,045 in Sacramento to keep the same standard of living.