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

CSangerSafer than 26% of U.S. towns AImperialSafer than 89% of U.S. towns

Schools

BSangerBetter than 63% of districts in the state B−ImperialBetter than 50% of districts in the state

Health

C−SangerHealthier than 23% of U.S. towns B−ImperialHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns

5Sanger

16Imperial

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

SafestSafety · 411 towns #231#1 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #580#830 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #530#329 Lowest obesityHealth · 844 towns #788#594 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #200#23 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #144#322 Most educatedPeople · 844 towns #697#531 HealthiestHealth · 844 towns #704#550

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $280 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.

Down paymentRate%

Sanger$2,410/mo

Typical home $413K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.69% · or rent about $1,209/mo · Housing →

Imperial$2,690/mo

Typical home $442K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.00% · or rent about $1,255/mo · Housing →

The difference: $280 a month, about $3,400 a year, between Imperial and Sanger.

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.

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

SangerImperial

Snow a year0″0″

January low41°F 43°F

July high98°F 107°F

Growing season (days)337d 363d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)37th 87th

Outdoors & history

SangerImperial

Trails1 mi 2 mi

Conserved land1.7%1%

Settled1888 1904

National Register places1 —

Archive photos12 8

Famous people born here12 6

Community

SangerImperial

Library hours a week52 hrs 40 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

350 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SangerCA ImperialCA

Sanger ↔ Imperial350 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.

Only big differences vs California average

SangerImperial

People

Population 26,699Highest 21,430Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +9.7%Lowest CA: +6.1% +37.3%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 30.9±1.9Lowest 18% below CA 31.3±3.4Highest 17% below CA

Imperial and Sanger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 29.5%±2.9Lowest CA: 22% 34.8%±5Highest CA: 22%

Imperial and Sanger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 10.6%±1.5Highest CA: 15.7% 9.5%±1.9Lowest CA: 15.7%

Sanger and Imperial are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.5%Lowest CA: 37.1% 22.7%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.7%±1.5Lowest CA: 7.6% 9.4%±2.4Highest CA: 7.6%

Imperial and Sanger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $77,500±$9kLowest 22% below CA $90,195±$8kHighest 9% below CA

Imperial and Sanger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $364,800±$12kHighest 50% below CA $360,900±$14kLowest 51% below CA

Sanger and Imperial are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,209±$92Lowest 41% below CA $1,255±$316Highest 38% below CA

Imperial and Sanger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,520Lowest 51% below CA $3,605Highest 30% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 60%±8.7Highest CA: 55.3% 44.5%±12.1Lowest CA: 55.3%

Sanger and Imperial are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 15.8%Highest CA: 12% 12.5%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 64.4%Lowest CA: 55.9% 69.5%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1983Lowest 7 yrs newer than CA 2002Highest 26 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minHighest 18% below CA 19 minLowest 35% below CA

Work from home 5.4%±1.6Lowest CA: 17.2% 7.5%±3.7Highest CA: 17.2%

Imperial and Sanger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 14.9%Highest 12.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miHighest 9.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.74Highest 0.51Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fresno (33%)El Centro (27%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ImperialFew work in Sanger

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.7%Highest 1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miLowest 1.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 12Highest 6Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 120Highest 86.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #322 of 574 in CA #292 of 574 in CA

School district Sanger UnifiedImperial Unified

High school in town Sanger HighImperial High

Students per teacherat that high school 23.1 23.1

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.

Sanger neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sanger’s Town Square.

Imperial neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Imperial’s Town Square.

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Towns like Sanger

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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.

Sanger vs Imperial

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Imperial places higher on 16 of 21 CA lists

A typical home costs $280 more a month in Imperial

What daily life feels like in each

350 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Sanger

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