City comparison
San Ramon, CA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Union City, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 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 San Ramon, CA to Union City, 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.
San Ramon has a population of 86,119, vs 69,502 in Union City — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, San Ramon covers about 20 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Union 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 | San Ramon | Union City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,768/mo | $2,593/mo | 6.7% higher in San Ramon |
| Median home value | $1,254,900 | $1,006,600 | 24.7% higher in San Ramon |
| Median household income | $190,829 | $138,013 | 38.3% higher in San Ramon |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 108.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 168.3 | 168.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 106.1 | 106.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 106.0 | 106.0 | ≈ 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 San Ramon, you'd need $99,654 in Union City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Union City, CA is about 0.3% cheaper overall than San Ramon, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in San Ramon, you'd need about $79,723 in Union City to keep the same standard of living.