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Imperial Beach vs Coronado

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: home values (2.3× in Coronado) and jobs per worker (6.3× in Coronado).

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Imperial Beach, CAAn outdoors townCalifornia · 25,764 people
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Coronado, CAHomes around $2.56MCalifornia · 19,015 people
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.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

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

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $9,720 more a month in Coronado

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.

Imperial Beach$4,770/mo
Typical home $835K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.55% · or rent about $2,011/mo · Housing →
Coronado$14,480/mo
Typical home $2.56M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.50%+ · or rent about $3,257/mo · Housing →

The difference: $9,720 a month, about $116,600 a year, between Coronado and Imperial Beach.

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; “+” means the Census top-codes that town’s bill at $10,000, so its real rate is higher.

Report cards

Coronado places higher on 13 of 22 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.

Where they are

Imperial Beach and Coronado share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Imperial BeachCoronadoImperial BeachCoronado
Imperial Beach ↔ Coronado6.8 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
502 Imperial Beach residents work in Coronado (4.3% of its workers)
Work & commute in Imperial Beach →
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
Imperial BeachCoronado
Snow a year0″0″
January low47°F49°F
July high75°F74°F
Growing season (days)365d365d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)83rd80th
Outdoors & history
Imperial BeachCoronado
Conserved land37.4%9%
Settled18871890
National Register places14
Archive photos183
Famous people born here135
Community
Imperial BeachCoronado
Library hours a week45 hrs64 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

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.

Imperial BeachCoronado
People
Population 25,764Highest 19,015Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.7%Lowest CA: +6.1% +6.8%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 35.1±1.2Lowest 7% below CA 42±3Highest 11% above CA
Kids under 18 21.9%±2.8Highest CA: 22% 17.8%±2Lowest CA: 22%
Imperial Beach and Coronado are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 12.3%±1.5Lowest CA: 15.7% 22.1%±2Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.7%Lowest CA: 37.1% 65.5%Highest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.6%±1.3Highest CA: 7.6% 6.2%±1.8Lowest CA: 7.6%
Imperial Beach and Coronado are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $86,111±$10kLowest 13% below CA $134,534±$12kHighest 36% above CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $857,000±$22kLowest 17% above CA $2,000,001Highest 172% above CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,011±$85Lowest about the CA average $3,257±$172Highest 60% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,745Lowest 7% below CA $10,000+Highest at least 95% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 60%±6.7Lowest CA: 55.3% 61.7%±8.1Highest CA: 55.3%
Coronado and Imperial Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.8%Highest CA: 12% 4.7%Lowest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 31.3%Lowest CA: 55.9% 54.6%Highest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1971Lowest 5 yrs older than CA 1974Highest 2 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 6% below CA 18 minLowest 37% below CA
Work from home 10.9%±2.5Lowest CA: 17.2% 18.6%±3Highest CA: 17.2%
Work in townworking residents 4.7%Lowest 14.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.3 miHighest 12.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.24Lowest 1.51Highest
Top workplaceoutside town San Diego (44%)San Diego (41%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 4% work in CoronadoFew work in Imperial Beach
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 37.4%Highest 9%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 10.3 miLowest 13.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.3 miHighest 1.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Lowest 16Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 86.7Highest 43.2Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #429 of 574 in CA#39 of 574 in CA
School district South Bay Union · Sweetwater Union HighCoronado Unified
High school in town Mar Vista Senior HighCoronado High
Students per teacherat that high school 22.2Highest 18.0Lowest
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.

Imperial Beach neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Imperial Beach’s Town Square.

Coronado neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Coronado’s Town Square.

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Bordering Imperial Beach

Towns like Imperial Beach

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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