Imperial is home to 21,430 people in California. The population has roughly tripled since 2000, adding 13,870 people. This skews young, with a median age of 31.3. That puts it in the top 10% of US cities for household income. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 23% of adults. The foreign-born share is 25%.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $90,195, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 97%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Imperial
What changed most since 1990
Population4,113 → 21,430(+421%)US over the same years: +35%
Hispanic share53.0% → 85.4%(+32.4 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
White share43.2% → 10.5%(−32.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Imperial's population equals 12% of Imperial County's. Its number of households without a car equals 4.4% of the county's. Its number of veterans equals 21% of the county's.
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)30.4%(283)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)22.9%(213)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.5%(331)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.5%(70)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 932 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
Imperial, decade by decade
Imperial 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
4,113
$76,802
$164,405
8.7%
66.5
2000
7,560
$90,083
$183,076
16.9%
65.1
2010
14,758
$78,570
$329,001
20.0%
49.8
2020
20,263
$99,548
$300,828
21.6%
37.6
2024
21,430
$90,195
$360,900
22.7%
32.4
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.
