City comparison
Cupertino, CA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Redwood City, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 20 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 Redwood City, CA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Redwood City has a population of 83,077, vs 59,763 in Cupertino — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Redwood City covers about 19 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 | Redwood City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501/mo | $2,899/mo | 20.8% higher in Cupertino |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $1,777,600 | 12.5% higher in Cupertino |
| Median household income | $223,667 | $145,620 | 53.6% higher in Cupertino |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 107.4 | 2.2% higher in Redwood City |
| Utilities index | 153.8 | 165.0 | 7.2% higher in Redwood City |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 104.8 | 4.1% higher in Redwood City |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 104.8 | 4.1% higher in Redwood City |
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 $97,315 in Redwood City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Redwood City, CA is about 2.7% cheaper overall than Cupertino, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in Cupertino than in Redwood City. If you earn $80,000 in Cupertino, you'd need about $77,852 in Redwood City to keep the same standard of living.