City comparison
Chico, CA is about 600 miles (950 km) from El Centro, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 750 miles, or about 12 hours 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 Chico, CA to El Centro, CA takes about 1 h 11 min, covering roughly 600 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.
Chico has a population of 102,790, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Chico covers about 34 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for El Centro.
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 | Chico | El Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,360/mo | $938/mo | 45.0% higher in Chico |
| Median home value | $427,600 | $266,500 | 60.5% higher in Chico |
| Median household income | $65,932 | $54,922 | 20.0% higher in Chico |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 105.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.8 | 154.3 | 1.0% higher in Chico |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.6 | ≈ 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 Chico, you'd need $89,073 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 10.9% cheaper overall than Chico, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 39% higher in Chico than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in Chico, you'd need about $71,258 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.