City comparison
Covina, CA is about 150 miles (250 km) from El Centro, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 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 Covina, CA to El Centro, CA takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Covina has a population of 50,717, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, El Centro covers about 12 sq mi vs 7 sq mi for Covina.
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 | Covina | El Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,777/mo | $938/mo | 89.4% higher in Covina |
| Median home value | $628,600 | $266,500 | 135.9% higher in Covina |
| Median household income | $89,650 | $54,922 | 63.2% higher in Covina |
| Groceries index | 105.3 | 105.1 | ≈ equal (Covina slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 153.5 | 154.3 | 0.5% higher in El Centro |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 100.7 | 3.1% higher in Covina |
| Healthcare index | 103.7 | 100.6 | 3.1% higher in Covina |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Covina, you'd need $69,728 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 30.3% cheaper overall than Covina, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 138% higher in Covina than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in Covina, you'd need about $55,782 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.