City comparison
El Centro, CA is about 175 miles (275 km) from Gardena, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 45 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 El Centro, CA to Gardena, CA takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 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.
Gardena has a population of 60,377, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, El Centro covers about 12 sq mi vs 5.8 sq mi for Gardena.
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 | El Centro | Gardena | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $938/mo | $1,638/mo | 74.6% higher in Gardena |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $619,900 | 132.6% higher in Gardena |
| Median household income | $54,922 | $75,443 | 37.4% higher in Gardena |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 106.4 | 1.3% higher in Gardena |
| Utilities index | 154.3 | 155.6 | 0.8% higher in Gardena |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 104.4 | 3.7% higher in Gardena |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 104.3 | 3.7% higher in Gardena |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in El Centro, you'd need $147,558 in Gardena to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 32.2% cheaper overall than Gardena, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 149% higher in Gardena than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in El Centro, you'd need about $118,047 in Gardena to keep the same standard of living.