City comparison
El Centro, CA is about 150 miles (250 km) from Upland, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 200 miles, or about 3 h 15 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 Upland, CA takes about 18 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.
Upland has a population of 78,847, vs 44,184 in El Centro — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Upland covers about 16 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 | Upland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $938/mo | $1,841/mo | 96.3% higher in Upland |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $647,400 | 142.9% higher in Upland |
| Median household income | $54,922 | $93,994 | 71.1% higher in Upland |
| 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 Upland |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 101.5 | 0.9% higher in Upland |
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 $128,287 in Upland to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 22% cheaper overall than Upland, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 95% higher in Upland than in El Centro. If you earn $80,000 in El Centro, you'd need about $102,630 in Upland to keep the same standard of living.