City comparison
Redwood City, CA is about 20 miles (40 km) from San Ramon, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 29 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 Ramon, CA takes about 3 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 Ramon has a population of 86,119, vs 83,077 in Redwood City — about the same size. By land area, San Ramon covers about 20 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 Ramon | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,899/mo | $2,768/mo | 4.7% higher in Redwood City |
| Median home value | $1,777,600 | $1,254,900 | 41.7% higher in Redwood City |
| Median household income | $145,620 | $190,829 | 31.0% higher in San Ramon |
| Groceries index | 107.4 | 108.1 | 0.6% higher in San Ramon |
| Utilities index | 165.0 | 168.3 | 2.0% higher in San Ramon |
| Transportation index | 104.8 | 106.1 | 1.2% higher in San Ramon |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 106.0 | 1.2% higher in San Ramon |
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 $99,267 in San Ramon to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
San Ramon, CA is about 0.7% cheaper overall than Redwood City, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in Redwood City than in San Ramon. If you earn $80,000 in Redwood City, you'd need about $79,414 in San Ramon to keep the same standard of living.