City comparison
Downey, CA is about 375 miles (600 km) from San Francisco, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 475 miles, or about 8 h 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 San Francisco, CA takes about 45 min, covering roughly 375 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.
San Francisco has a population of 851,036, vs 113,052 in Downey — about 7.5× larger by population. By land area, San Francisco covers about 47 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 | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,814/mo | $2,316/mo | 27.7% higher in San Francisco |
| Median home value | $679,000 | $1,348,700 | 98.6% higher in San Francisco |
| Median household income | $84,236 | $136,689 | 62.3% higher in San Francisco |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 103.9 | 2.4% higher in Downey |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 162.7 | 4.6% higher in San Francisco |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 102.0 | 2.3% higher in Downey |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.2 | 4.2% 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 Downey, you'd need $107,444 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Downey, CA is about 6.9% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% higher in San Francisco than in Downey. If you earn $80,000 in Downey, you'd need about $85,956 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.