City comparison
Carson, CA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Downey, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 12 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 Carson, CA to Downey, CA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Downey has a population of 113,052, vs 94,475 in Carson — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Carson covers about 19 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for Downey.
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 | Carson | Downey | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,815/mo | $1,814/mo | 0.1% higher in Carson |
| Median home value | $616,000 | $679,000 | 10.2% higher in Downey |
| Median household income | $103,045 | $84,236 | 22.3% higher in Carson |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 155.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 104.4 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ 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 Carson, you'd need $100,000 in Downey to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Carson and Downey have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Carson, you'd need about $80,000 in Downey to keep the same standard of living.