City comparison
Cupertino, CA is about 325 miles (500 km) from Downey, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 400 miles, or about 6 h 45 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 Cupertino, CA to Downey, CA takes about 38 min, covering roughly 325 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.
Downey has a population of 113,052, vs 59,763 in Cupertino — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Downey covers about 12 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for Cupertino.
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 | Cupertino | Downey | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501/mo | $1,814/mo | 93.0% higher in Cupertino |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $679,000 | 194.6% higher in Cupertino |
| Median household income | $223,667 | $84,236 | 165.5% higher in Cupertino |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 106.4 | 1.3% higher in Downey |
| Utilities index | 153.8 | 155.6 | 1.1% higher in Downey |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 104.4 | 3.7% higher in Downey |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 104.3 | 3.7% higher in Downey |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cupertino, you'd need $87,499 in Downey to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Downey, CA is about 12.5% cheaper overall than Cupertino, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Cupertino than in Downey. If you earn $80,000 in Cupertino, you'd need about $69,999 in Downey to keep the same standard of living.