City comparison
Castro Valley, CA is about 10 miles (10 km) from San Leandro, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 7 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 Castro Valley, CA to San Leandro, 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.
San Leandro has a population of 89,723, vs 65,444 in Castro Valley — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Castro Valley covers about 17 sq mi vs 13 sq mi for San Leandro.
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 | Castro Valley | San Leandro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,383/mo | $1,997/mo | 19.3% higher in Castro Valley |
| Median home value | $1,013,900 | $772,700 | 31.2% higher in Castro Valley |
| Median household income | $132,174 | $97,141 | 36.1% higher in Castro Valley |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 108.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 168.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 106.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 106.0 | ≈ 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 Castro Valley, you'd need $99,223 in San Leandro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Leandro, CA is about 0.8% cheaper overall than Castro Valley, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 1% higher in Castro Valley than in San Leandro. If you earn $80,000 in Castro Valley, you'd need about $79,378 in San Leandro to keep the same standard of living.