City comparison
Milpitas, CA is about 10 miles (10 km) from Santa Clara, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 8 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 Milpitas, CA to Santa Clara, CA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Santa Clara has a population of 128,058, vs 79,092 in Milpitas — about 1.6× larger by population. By land area, Santa Clara covers about 18 sq mi vs 13 sq mi for Milpitas.
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 | Milpitas | Santa Clara | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,981/mo | $2,841/mo | 4.9% higher in Milpitas |
| Median home value | $1,155,000 | $1,440,200 | 24.7% higher in Santa Clara |
| Median household income | $166,769 | $165,352 | 0.9% higher in Milpitas |
| Groceries index | 105.8 | 105.1 | 0.7% higher in Milpitas |
| Utilities index | 157.2 | 153.8 | 2.2% higher in Milpitas |
| Transportation index | 101.9 | 100.7 | 1.2% higher in Milpitas |
| Healthcare index | 101.9 | 100.6 | 1.2% higher in Milpitas |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Milpitas, you'd need $100,189 in Santa Clara to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Milpitas and Santa Clara have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 1% higher in Santa Clara than in Milpitas. If you earn $80,000 in Milpitas, you'd need about $80,151 in Santa Clara to keep the same standard of living.