City comparison
Richmond, CA is about 60 miles (100 km) from Sacramento, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Richmond, CA to Sacramento, CA takes about 8 min, covering roughly 60 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 115,619 in Richmond — about 4.5× larger by population. By land area, Sacramento covers about 99 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Richmond.
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 | Richmond | Sacramento | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,853/mo | $1,592/mo | 16.4% higher in Richmond |
| Median home value | $624,800 | $450,500 | 38.7% higher in Richmond |
| Median household income | $86,618 | $78,954 | 9.7% higher in Richmond |
| Groceries index | 107.4 | 105.1 | 2.2% higher in Richmond |
| Utilities index | 164.6 | 148.9 | 10.5% higher in Richmond |
| Transportation index | 104.8 | 100.7 | 4.1% higher in Richmond |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 100.6 | 4.1% higher in Richmond |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Richmond, you'd need $83,069 in Sacramento to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sacramento, CA is about 16.9% cheaper overall than Richmond, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% higher in Richmond than in Sacramento. If you earn $80,000 in Richmond, you'd need about $66,456 in Sacramento to keep the same standard of living.