City comparison
El Centro, CA is about 500 miles (800 km) from Union City, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 600 miles, or about 10 hours 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 Union City, CA takes about 59 min, covering roughly 500 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.
Union City has a population of 69,502, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Union City covers about 19 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 | Union City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $938/mo | $2,593/mo | 176.4% higher in Union City |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $1,006,600 | 277.7% higher in Union City |
| Median household income | $54,922 | $138,013 | 151.3% higher in Union City |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 108.1 | 2.9% higher in Union City |
| Utilities index | 154.3 | 168.3 | 9.1% higher in Union City |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 106.1 | 5.4% higher in Union City |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 106.0 | 5.4% higher in Union City |
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 $162,980 in Union City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 38.6% cheaper overall than Union City, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 192% higher in Union City than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in El Centro, you'd need about $130,384 in Union City to keep the same standard of living.