City comparison
Davis, CA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Sacramento, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 18 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 Davis, CA to Sacramento, 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.
Sacramento has a population of 523,600, vs 67,203 in Davis — about 7.8× larger by population. By land area, Sacramento covers about 99 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 | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,927/mo | $1,592/mo | 21.0% higher in Davis |
| Median home value | $803,100 | $450,500 | 78.3% higher in Davis |
| Median household income | $83,592 | $78,954 | 5.9% higher in Davis |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 105.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 148.9 | 148.9 | ≈ equal |
| 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 $99,152 in Sacramento to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sacramento, CA is about 0.8% cheaper overall than Davis, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Davis than in Sacramento. If you earn $80,000 in Davis, you'd need about $79,321 in Sacramento to keep the same standard of living.