City comparison
Downey, CA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Los Angeles, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 21 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 Downey, CA to Los Angeles, 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.
Los Angeles has a population of 3,881,041, vs 113,052 in Downey — about 34.3× larger by population. By land area, Los Angeles covers about 470 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for Downey.
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 | Downey | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,814/mo | $1,791/mo | 1.3% higher in Downey |
| Median home value | $679,000 | $822,600 | 21.1% higher in Los Angeles |
| Median household income | $84,236 | $76,244 | 10.5% higher in Downey |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 106.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 151.7 | 2.5% higher in Downey |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 104.0 | ≈ equal (Downey slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 104.3 | ≈ equal (Downey slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Downey, you'd need $99,633 in Los Angeles to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Los Angeles, CA is about 0.4% cheaper overall than Downey, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Downey, you'd need about $79,706 in Los Angeles to keep the same standard of living.