El Centro vs Imperial
A side-by-side comparison of El Centro and Imperial: population, income, housing, and more.
El Centro and Imperial are places in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
El Centro has the higher population (44,186 vs 20,943 in Imperial). Imperial has the higher median household income ($83,214 vs $56,093 in El Centro). Imperial has the higher median home value ($344,700 vs $291,100 in El Centro).
Population, income & housing
| El Centro | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,186 | 20,943 |
| Median age | 31.6 yrs | 32.9 yrs |
| Median household income | $56,093 | $83,214 |
| Median home value | $291,100 | $344,700 |
| Median gross rent | $992 | $1,396 |
| Housing units | 14,535 | 6,876 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.0% | 65.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.8% | 20.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.9% | 8.5% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| El Centro | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,003 → 44,186 (+0.4%) | 17,454 → 20,943 (+20.0%) |
| Median household income | $47,864 → $56,093 (+17.2%) | $85,654 → $83,214 (-2.8%) |
| Median home value | $192,600 → $291,100 (+51.1%) | $239,900 → $344,700 (+43.7%) |
| Median gross rent | $803 → $992 (+23.5%) | $1,394 → $1,396 (+0.1%) |
El Centro
44,00344,186
$47,864$56,093
$192,600$291,100
$803$992
Imperial
17,45420,943
$85,654$83,214
$239,900$344,700
$1,394$1,396
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| El Centro | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| 5 to 17 | 23.6% | 25.7% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.2% | 9.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 9.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 15.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.2% | 10.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.4% | 5.8% |
| 75 and over | 5.8% | 4.2% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| El Centro | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 7.6% | 10.4% |
| Black or African American | 3.9% | 0.8% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 1.0% | 3.7% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Two or more races | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 86.9% | 84.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| El Centro | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 26.5% | 17.1% |
| High school graduate | 26.0% | 25.7% |
| Some college or associate's | 31.7% | 36.9% |
| Bachelor's degree | 10.0% | 12.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 5.8% | 7.5% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| El Centro | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 78.0% | 75.1% |
| Carpooled | 14.0% | 12.4% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Walked | 1.6% | 3.1% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 4.6% | 9.5% |
| Other means | 1.9% | 0.0% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| El Centro | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 54.4% | 73.7% |
| 1-unit, attached | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| 2 to 4 units | 14.3% | 6.0% |
| 5 to 19 units | 11.6% | 10.9% |
| 20 or more units | 8.9% | 4.6% |
| Mobile home & other | 8.3% | 3.0% |
Poverty & households
| El Centro | Imperial | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 20.1% | 12.4% |
| Average household size | 3.41 | 3.47 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 23 | 18 |
| Median year structure built | 1982 | 2001 |
Full profiles
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