City comparison
El Centro, CA is about 150 miles (250 km) from Hacienda Heights, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 30 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 Hacienda Heights, CA takes about 19 min, covering roughly 150 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.
Hacienda Heights has a population of 55,461, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, El Centro covers about 12 sq mi vs 11 sq mi for Hacienda Heights.
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 | Hacienda Heights | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $938/mo | $2,084/mo | 122.2% higher in Hacienda Heights |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $742,500 | 178.6% higher in Hacienda Heights |
| Median household income | $54,922 | $101,420 | 84.7% higher in Hacienda Heights |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 106.4 | 1.3% higher in Hacienda Heights |
| Utilities index | 154.3 | 155.6 | 0.8% higher in Hacienda Heights |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 104.4 | 3.7% higher in Hacienda Heights |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 104.3 | 3.7% higher in Hacienda Heights |
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 $149,016 in Hacienda Heights to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 32.9% cheaper overall than Hacienda Heights, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 154% higher in Hacienda Heights than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in El Centro, you'd need about $119,213 in Hacienda Heights to keep the same standard of living.