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Imperial vs El Centro

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+33.3 pts in Imperial) and household income (+70% in Imperial).

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Imperial, CAHomes around $442KCalifornia · 21,430 people
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El Centro, CAHomes around $395KCalifornia · 44,240 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.

ImperialHomes around $442K
Housing$442K typical home42% below the CA typical home Health52% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SafetySafer than 89%of U.S. towns we grade All about Imperial →
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 →
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.

Growth since 2010+33.3 pts
Imperial has grown faster since 2010
Imperial +37.3%El Centro +4%
Household income+70%
Households in Imperial earn more
Imperial $90,195El Centro $53,082
Property tax bill+40%
Tax bills are bigger in Imperial
Imperial $3,605El Centro $2,567
Work in town+21.5 pts
More of El Centro’s workers stay in town
El Centro 34%Imperial 12.5%
Homeowners+20 pts renters
El Centro has more renters
Imperial 69.5%El Centro 49.5%
Jobs per worker2.1×
El Centro is more of a job hub
El Centro 1.05Imperial 0.51
★ What stands out · Report cards

Imperial places higher on 15 of 24 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
AImperialSafer than 89% of U.S. towns C+El CentroSafer than 38% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−ImperialBetter than 50% of districts in the state BEl CentroBetter than 61% of districts in the state
Health
B−ImperialHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns C−El CentroHealthier than 23% of U.S. towns
15Imperial
8El Centro

Lists won, of 24 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #23#434 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #124#305 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #465#777 SafestSafety · 411 towns #1#148 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #329#530 HealthiestHealth · 844 towns #550#702 Most activeHealth · 844 towns #603#755 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #292#190

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Imperial

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$2,690/mo
Typical home $442K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.00% · or rent about $1,255/mo · Housing →
El Centro$2,330/mo
Typical home $395K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.79% · or rent about $1,052/mo · Housing →

The difference: $360 a month, about $4,300 a year, between Imperial 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.

Where they are

Imperial and El Centro share a border

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

ImperialEl CentroImperialEl Centro
Imperial ↔ El Centro3.7 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
2,419 Imperial residents work in El Centro (27.4% of its workers)
954 El Centro residents work in Imperial (5.3% of its workers)
Work & commute in Imperial →
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
ImperialEl Centro
Snow a year0″0″
January low43°F43°F
July high107°F107°F
Growing season (days)363d363d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th89th
Outdoors & history
ImperialEl Centro
Trails2 mi2 mi
Conserved land1%1.5%
Settled19041905
National Register places—1
Archive photos86
Famous people born here6—
Community
ImperialEl Centro
Library hours a week40 hrs48 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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.

ImperialEl Centro
People
Population 21,430Lowest 44,240Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +37.3%Highest CA: +6.1% +4%Lowest CA: +6.1%
Median age 31.3±3.4Highest 17% below CA 31±1.2Lowest 18% below CA
Imperial and El Centro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 34.8%±5Highest CA: 22% 30.3%±2.7Lowest CA: 22%
Imperial and El Centro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 9.5%±1.9Lowest CA: 15.7% 14%±1.4Highest CA: 15.7%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.7%Highest CA: 37.1% 14.9%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 9.4%±2.4Highest CA: 7.6% 6%±1.1Lowest CA: 7.6%
Imperial 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 $90,195±$8kHighest 9% below CA $53,082±$6kLowest 46% below CA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $360,900±$14kHighest 51% below CA $323,100±$12kLowest 56% below CA
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,255±$316Highest 38% below CA $1,052±$63Lowest 48% below CA
Imperial and El Centro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,605Highest 30% below CA $2,567Lowest 50% below CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44.5%±12.1Lowest CA: 55.3% 54%±6Highest CA: 55.3%
El Centro and Imperial are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 12.5%Lowest CA: 12% 21.6%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.5%Highest CA: 55.9% 49.5%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 2002Highest 26 yrs newer than CA 1982Lowest 6 yrs newer than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 35% below CA 22 minHighest 23% below CA
Work from home 7.5%±3.7Highest CA: 17.2% 5.9%±2.1Lowest CA: 17.2%
Imperial and El Centro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 12.5%Lowest 34%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 8.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.51Lowest 1.05Highest
Top workplaceoutside town El Centro (27%)Calexico (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 27% work in El Centro5% work in Imperial
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1%Lowest 1.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.7 miHighest 1.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Lowest 16Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 86.1Highest 68.2Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #292 of 574 in CA#190 of 574 in CA
School district Imperial UnifiedImperial Valley ROP · Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences District
High school in town Imperial HighCentral Union High
Students per teacherat that high school 23.1Highest 20.9Lowest
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 neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Imperial’s Town Square.

El Centro neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 4d

New to El Centro

1 neighbor in El Centro can answer.

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Towns like Imperial

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Sanger26,699 people · $365K homes

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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