City comparison
El Centro, CA is about 375 miles (600 km) from Madera, 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 El Centro, CA to Madera, CA takes about 46 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.
Madera has a population of 66,784, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Madera covers about 20 sq mi vs 12 sq mi for El Centro.
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 | Madera | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $938/mo | $1,188/mo | 26.7% higher in Madera |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $296,800 | 11.4% higher in Madera |
| Median household income | $54,922 | $61,626 | 12.2% higher in Madera |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 105.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 154.3 | 157.8 | 2.3% higher in Madera |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 100.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.6 | ≈ equal |
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 $113,486 in Madera to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 11.9% cheaper overall than Madera, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 43% higher in Madera than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in El Centro, you'd need about $90,788 in Madera to keep the same standard of living.