City comparison
Newark, CA is about 20 miles (30 km) from San Jose, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 23 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 Newark, CA to San Jose, CA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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 Jose has a population of 1,001,176, vs 47,470 in Newark — about 21.1× larger by population. By land area, San Jose covers about 180 sq mi vs 14 sq mi for Newark.
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 | Newark | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,644/mo | $2,526/mo | 4.7% higher in Newark |
| Median home value | $1,034,900 | $1,149,600 | 11.1% higher in San Jose |
| Median household income | $159,465 | $136,010 | 17.2% higher in Newark |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 105.1 | 2.9% higher in Newark |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 153.8 | 9.4% higher in Newark |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 100.7 | 5.4% higher in Newark |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 100.6 | 5.4% higher in Newark |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Newark, you'd need $101,820 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Newark, CA is about 1.8% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% higher in San Jose than in Newark. If you earn $80,000 in Newark, you'd need about $81,456 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.