City comparison
Lincoln, CA is about 125 miles (200 km) from San Francisco, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 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 Lincoln, CA to San Francisco, 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.
San Francisco has a population of 851,036, vs 50,131 in Lincoln — about 17.0× larger by population. By land area, San Francisco covers about 47 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for Lincoln.
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 | Lincoln | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,067/mo | $2,316/mo | 12.0% higher in San Francisco |
| Median home value | $594,500 | $1,348,700 | 126.9% higher in San Francisco |
| Median household income | $99,434 | $136,689 | 37.5% higher in San Francisco |
| Groceries index | 105.1 | 103.9 | 1.1% higher in Lincoln |
| Utilities index | 148.9 | 162.7 | 9.2% higher in San Francisco |
| Transportation index | 100.7 | 102.0 | 1.4% higher in San Francisco |
| Healthcare index | 100.6 | 100.2 | ≈ equal (Lincoln slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lincoln, you'd need $122,489 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lincoln, CA is about 18.4% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 45% higher in San Francisco than in Lincoln. If you earn $80,000 in Lincoln, you'd need about $97,991 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.