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El Centro vs Madera

386 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (3.7× in Madera) and rent (+29% in Madera).

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El Centro, CAHomes around $395KCalifornia · 44,240 people
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Madera, CAHomes around $426KCalifornia · 67,831 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

El CentroHomes around $395K
Housing$395K typical home48% below the CA typical home Health77% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Schools#190 for schools in CAof 574 towns All about El Centro →
MaderaHomes around $426K
Housing$426K typical home44% below the CA typical home SchoolsBetter than 68%of CA districts Health90% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Madera →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails3.7×
Madera has more miles of trail
Madera 5.6 miEl Centro 1.5 mi
Rent+29%
Rent runs higher in Madera
Madera $1,353El Centro $1,052
Household income+20%
Households in Madera earn more
Madera $63,933El Centro $53,082
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

El Centro$2,330/mo
Typical home $395K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $1,052/mo · Housing →
Madera$2,460/mo
Typical home $426K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,353/mo · Housing →

The difference: $130 a month, about $1,500 a year, between Madera and El Centro.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

El Centro places higher on 13 of 23 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
C+El CentroSafer than 38% of U.S. towns CMaderaSafer than 28% of U.S. towns
Schools
BEl CentroBetter than 61% of districts in the state B+MaderaBetter than 68% of districts in the state
Health
C−El CentroHealthier than 23% of U.S. towns DMaderaHealthier than 10% of U.S. towns
13El Centro
10Madera

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #190#495 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #163#320 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #305#160 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #831#603 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #530#730 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #376#211 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #434#260 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #128#293

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of El Centro’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
El CentroMadera
Snow a year0″0″
January low43°F38°F
July high107°F96°F
Growing season (days)363d281d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)89th80th
Outdoors & history
El CentroMadera
Trails2 mi6 mi
Conserved land1.5%2.5%
Settled19051876
National Register places11
Archive photos129
Famous people born here—28
Community
El CentroMadera
Library hours a week48 hrs41 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

386 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

El CentroCAMaderaCA
El Centro ↔ Madera386 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

El CentroMadera
People
Population 44,240Lowest 67,831Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4%Lowest CA: +6.1% +7.8%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 31±1.2Highest 18% below CA 30.4±0.7Lowest 20% below CA
El Centro and Madera are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 30.3%±2.7Lowest CA: 22% 30.8%±1.6Highest CA: 22%
Madera and El Centro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14%±1.4Highest CA: 15.7% 9.6%±0.9Lowest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14.9%Highest CA: 37.1% 10.9%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6%±1.1Lowest CA: 7.6% 8.1%±1.1Highest CA: 7.6%
Madera and El Centro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $53,082±$6kLowest 46% below CA $63,933±$5kHighest 36% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $323,100±$12kLowest 56% below CA $359,900±$9kHighest 51% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,052±$63Lowest 48% below CA $1,353±$58Highest 34% below CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,567Highest 50% below CA $2,295Lowest 55% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54%±6Lowest CA: 55.3% 60.3%±4.9Highest CA: 55.3%
Madera and El Centro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 21.6%Lowest CA: 12% 25.6%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 49.5%Lowest CA: 55.9% 54.7%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1982Lowest 6 yrs newer than CA 1991Highest 15 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 23% below CA 26 minHighest 10% below CA
Work from home 5.9%±2.1Lowest CA: 17.2% 6.9%±1.4Highest CA: 17.2%
Madera and El Centro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 34%Highest 27.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miLowest 18.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.05Highest 0.84Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Calexico (7%)Fresno (18%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MaderaFew work in El Centro
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.5%Lowest 2.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.5 miLowest 5.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 16Highest 9Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 68.2Lowest 86.1Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #190 of 574 in CA#495 of 574 in CA
School district Imperial Valley ROP · Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences DistrictSherman Thomas STEM Academy District · Madera Unified
High school in town Central Union HighMatilda Torres High
Students per teacherat that high school 20.9Highest 20.5Lowest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

El Centro neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 6d

New to El Centro

1 neighbor in El Centro can answer.

Madera neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Madera’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside El Centro and Madera

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Bordering El Centro

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Imperial21,430 people · $361K homes

Towns like El Centro

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Porterville63,157 people · $286K homes
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Atwater32,162 people · $363K homes
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Brawley27,283 people · $291K homes
+ Compare
Calexico38,585 people · $314K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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