City comparison
El Centro, CA is about 175 miles (275 km) from Lynwood, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 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 Lynwood, 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.
Lynwood has a population of 66,346, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, El Centro covers about 12 sq mi vs 4.8 sq mi for Lynwood.
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 | Lynwood | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $938/mo | $1,488/mo | 58.6% higher in Lynwood |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $540,100 | 102.7% higher in Lynwood |
| Median household income | $54,922 | $67,350 | 22.6% higher in Lynwood |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 106.4 | 1.3% higher in Lynwood |
| Utilities index | 154.3 | 155.6 | 0.8% higher in Lynwood |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 104.4 | 3.7% higher in Lynwood |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 104.3 | 3.7% higher in Lynwood |
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 $147,069 in Lynwood to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 32% cheaper overall than Lynwood, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 147% higher in Lynwood than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in El Centro, you'd need about $117,655 in Lynwood to keep the same standard of living.