El Centro is a city of 44,240 people in California. 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The median age is 31.0, younger than the US median of 38.9. Households here earn about 46% less than in California as a whole. 49% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 30%.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $53,082, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
15% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 82%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about El Centro
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share64.7% → 86.7%(+22.0 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Median household income (2024 dollars)$60,355 → $53,082(−12%)US over the same years: +14%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)36.4%(556)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)29.3%(447)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era25.9%(395)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.7%(102)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(20)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,527 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
El Centro, decade by decade
El Centro population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
31,384
$60,355
$187,445
13.5%
62.3
2000
37,835
$60,408
$177,976
14.0%
51.1
2010
42,598
$55,358
$303,970
15.4%
39.4
2020
44,322
$57,409
$254,649
16.7%
29.3
2024
44,240
$53,082
$323,100
14.9%
30.2
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
