City comparison
El Centro, CA is about 125 miles (200 km) from Redlands, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 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 Redlands, CA takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Redlands has a population of 73,234, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Redlands covers about 36 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 | Redlands | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $938/mo | $1,755/mo | 87.1% higher in Redlands |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $535,800 | 101.1% higher in Redlands |
| Median household income | $54,922 | $94,473 | 72.0% higher in Redlands |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 101.7 | 3.3% higher in El Centro |
| Utilities index | 154.3 | 146.5 | 5.3% higher in El Centro |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 101.6 | 0.9% higher in Redlands |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 101.5 | 0.9% higher in Redlands |
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 $128,004 in Redlands to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 21.9% cheaper overall than Redlands, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 94% higher in Redlands than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in El Centro, you'd need about $102,403 in Redlands to keep the same standard of living.