City comparison
Compton, CA is about 175 miles (275 km) from El Centro, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 30 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 Compton, CA to El Centro, CA takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 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.
Compton has a population of 94,822, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 2.1× larger by population. By land area, El Centro covers about 12 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Compton.
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 | Compton | El Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,464/mo | $938/mo | 56.1% higher in Compton |
| Median home value | $489,400 | $266,500 | 83.6% higher in Compton |
| Median household income | $69,728 | $54,922 | 27.0% higher in Compton |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Compton |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 154.3 | 0.8% higher in Compton |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 100.7 | 3.7% higher in Compton |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.6 | 3.7% higher in Compton |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Compton, you'd need $68,030 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 32% cheaper overall than Compton, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 147% higher in Compton than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in Compton, you'd need about $54,424 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.