City comparison
Pasadena, CA is about 350 miles (550 km) from Sacramento, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 450 miles, or about 7 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 Pasadena, CA to Sacramento, CA takes about 43 min, covering roughly 350 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.
Sacramento has a population of 523,600, vs 137,554 in Pasadena — about 3.8× larger by population. By land area, Sacramento covers about 99 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Pasadena.
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 | Pasadena | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,100/mo | $1,592/mo | 31.9% higher in Pasadena |
| Median home value | $981,600 | $450,500 | 117.9% higher in Pasadena |
| Median household income | $97,818 | $78,954 | 23.9% higher in Pasadena |
| Groceries index | 106.4 | 105.1 | 1.3% higher in Pasadena |
| Utilities index | 155.6 | 148.9 | 4.5% higher in Pasadena |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 100.7 | 3.7% higher in Pasadena |
| Healthcare index | 104.3 | 100.6 | 3.7% higher in Pasadena |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Pasadena, you'd need $86,124 in Sacramento to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sacramento, CA is about 13.9% cheaper overall than Pasadena, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% higher in Pasadena than in Sacramento. If you earn $80,000 in Pasadena, you'd need about $68,899 in Sacramento to keep the same standard of living.