City comparison
Redwood City, CA is about 30 miles (40 km) from San Jose, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 33 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 Redwood City, CA to San Jose, CA takes about 3 min, covering roughly 30 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 83,077 in Redwood City — about 12.1× larger by population. By land area, San Jose covers about 180 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Redwood City.
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 | Redwood City | San Jose | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,899/mo | $2,526/mo | 14.8% higher in Redwood City |
| Median home value | $1,777,600 | $1,149,600 | 54.6% higher in Redwood City |
| Median household income | $145,620 | $136,010 | 7.1% higher in Redwood City |
| Groceries index | 107.4 | 105.1 | 2.2% higher in Redwood City |
| Utilities index | 165.0 | 153.8 | 7.2% higher in Redwood City |
| Transportation index | 104.8 | 100.7 | 4.1% higher in Redwood City |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 100.6 | 4.1% higher in Redwood City |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Redwood City, you'd need $100,825 in San Jose to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Redwood City, CA is about 0.8% cheaper overall than San Jose, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% higher in San Jose than in Redwood City. If you earn $80,000 in Redwood City, you'd need about $80,660 in San Jose to keep the same standard of living.