El Centro
What’s happening
Weather
Forecast →Upcoming events
Put the next local happening — a market, a meeting, a concert — on the map.
Local news
Headlines via Google News · Articles belong to their publishers.
The El Centro album
Outdoors in El Centro
Parks & trails →Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1942
Carnival attraction of the Imperial county fair ppmsc00119u, 1942
Photo · Wikimedia Commons
About El Centro
City in California, United StatesEl Centro (Spanish for "The Center") is a city in and the county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. El Centro is the most populous city in the Imperial Valley, the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban area and principal city of the El Centro metropolitan area which encompasses all of Imperial County. El Centro is also the most populous U.S. city to lie entirely below sea level (−42 feet or −13 meters). The city, located in southeastern California, is 113 miles (182 km) from San Diego and less than 20 miles (32 km) from the Mexican city of Mexicali. The city was founded in 1906 by W. F. Holt and C.A. Barker, who purchased the land on which…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
How El Centro ranks
All →Town numbers
Housing in El Centro
The typical El Centro home is worth about $395,000, up 6.2% in a year, 48% below the California typical home.
A balanced market
Safety in El Centro
Safety Grade C+
El Centro reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 62% report less. Within California, it does better than 63% of towns.
Work & commute in El Centro
Full picture →About one in 3 of El Centro’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Calexico (7%), Imperial (5%) and Brawley (5%). Half commute less than 8 miles.
Health in El Centro
Health Grade C−
Healthier than 23% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 48% of towns with similar incomes.
Compared with California
of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 14 are too close to call.
What stands out
Care nearby
Natural hazards in El Centro
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities.
Climate in El Centro
Full climate →El Centro has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 108°, a January night drops to 43°, and snow is almost unheard of.
Schools in El Centro
All El Centro schools →School Grade B
The public schools El Centro’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 61% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within CA. Ratings are from neighbors.
El Centro’s library
Library details →Where El Centro is
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