City comparison
Davis, CA is about 550 miles (850 km) from El Centro, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 650 miles, or about 11 hours 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 Davis, CA to El Centro, CA takes about 1 h 3 min, covering roughly 550 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.
Davis has a population of 67,203, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, El Centro covers about 12 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Davis.
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 | Davis | El Centro | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,927/mo | $938/mo | 105.4% higher in Davis |
| Median home value | $803,100 | $266,500 | 201.4% higher in Davis |
| Median household income | $83,592 | $54,922 | 52.2% higher in Davis |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 105.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 148.9 | 154.3 | 3.6% higher in El Centro |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.6 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Davis, you'd need $77,230 in El Centro to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 22.8% cheaper overall than Davis, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 97% higher in Davis than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in Davis, you'd need about $61,784 in El Centro to keep the same standard of living.