City comparison
Cathedral City, CA is about 50 miles (80 km) from Colton, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 60 miles, or about 1 h 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 Cathedral City, CA to Colton, CA takes about 6 min, covering roughly 50 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.
Colton has a population of 53,959, vs 51,964 in Cathedral City — about the same size. By land area, Cathedral City covers about 22 sq mi vs 16 sq mi for Colton.
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 | Cathedral City | Colton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,445/mo | $1,462/mo | 1.2% higher in Colton |
| Median home value | $381,800 | $376,600 | 1.4% higher in Cathedral City |
| Median household income | $63,209 | $66,725 | 5.6% higher in Colton |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 101.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 146.5 | 146.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 101.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 101.5 | ≈ 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 Cathedral City, you'd need $100,043 in Colton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Cathedral City and Colton have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Cathedral City, you'd need about $80,034 in Colton to keep the same standard of living.