City comparison
Richmond, CA is about 10 miles (10 km) from San Rafael, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 10 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 San Rafael, CA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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.
Richmond has a population of 115,619, vs 60,891 in San Rafael — about 1.9× larger by population. By land area, Richmond covers about 30 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for San Rafael.
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 | San Rafael | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,853/mo | $2,257/mo | 21.8% higher in San Rafael |
| Median home value | $624,800 | $1,212,000 | 94.0% higher in San Rafael |
| Median household income | $86,618 | $113,839 | 31.4% higher in San Rafael |
| Groceries index | 107.4 | 107.4 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 164.6 | 164.6 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.8 | 104.8 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.8 | 104.8 | ≈ equal |
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 $100,851 in San Rafael to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Richmond, CA is about 0.8% cheaper overall than San Rafael, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 2% higher in San Rafael than in Richmond. If you earn $80,000 in Richmond, you'd need about $80,681 in San Rafael to keep the same standard of living.