City comparison
Compton, CA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Los Angeles, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 17 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 Los Angeles, CA takes about 2 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.
Los Angeles has a population of 3,881,041, vs 94,822 in Compton — about 40.9× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 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 | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,464/mo | $1,791/mo | 22.3% higher in Los Angeles |
| Median home value | $489,400 | $822,600 | 68.1% higher in Los Angeles |
| Median household income | $69,728 | $76,244 | 9.3% higher in Los Angeles |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 151.7 | 2.5% higher in Compton |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 104.0 | ≈ equal (Compton slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal (Compton slightly higher) |
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 $100,407 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Compton, CA is about 0.4% cheaper overall than Los Angeles, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 1% higher in Los Angeles than in Compton. If you earn $80,000 in Compton, you'd need about $80,326 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.