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COUNTY

Imperial County

California · 181,411 residents (2025 est.) · 4,176 sq mi
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Part of the El Centro metro area
The short version

With 180,202 people, Imperial County is a county in California. 16% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The foreign-born share is 32%. The median age is 33.2, younger than the US median of 38.9. Households here earn about 42% less than in California as a whole. The population is up 27% since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 81%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
180,202
+27%since 2000
from 142,361 in 2000
181,411 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
43 / sq mi
+13%since 2009
from 38 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
33.2
+7%since 2000
from 31.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
4,176 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
102K124K145K166K188K19902000201020202024Imperial County
2024180K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.1%(12,744)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.3%(13,065)
US avg: 6%
10 to 149.1%(16,437)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.8%(14,126)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.9%(12,411)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.5%(26,093)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.8%(23,056)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.8%(19,520)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410%(18,049)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748%(14,411)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.1%(7,320)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(2,970)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$57,681
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,870 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$23,552
+78%since 2000
from $13,239 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
39.2%
+16.2 ptssince 2009
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
19.5%
−3.0 ptssince 2000
from 22.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.466
−1%since 2010
from 0.469 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing9.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction9.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Finance & insurance7.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade4.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade4.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services3.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services2.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Public administration1.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food0.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$309,600
+81%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $93,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,056
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $504 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
56.8%
−1.5 ptssince 2000
from 58.3% in 2000
43.2% rent
Vacancy rate
14.5%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 12.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
3.49 people
+8%since 2009
from 3.23 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
27.3%
−10.4 ptssince 2009
from 37.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
49.6%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.4
−2%since 2009
from 5.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
34
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic20.2%(28,768)
Black3.6%(5,148)
Hispanic / Latino72.2%(102,817)
Asian1.7%(2,446)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic9.1%(16,413)
Black2%(3,523)
Hispanic / Latino86%(154,886)
Asian1.3%(2,260)
Other1.7%(3,120)
Diversity Score
32
−36%since 2009
from 49 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
38
−1%since 2020
from 39 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican82.9%(149,370)
Central American0.9%(1,647)
Salvadoran0.5%(872)
Spaniard0.4%(765)
Guatemalan0.2%(450)
Puerto Rican0.2%(434)
Nicaraguan0.1%(192)
Colombian0.1%(165)
Dominican0.1%(138)
Cuban0.1%(121)
Argentine0%(83)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0%(81)
Peruvian0%(61)
Chilean0%(17)
Asian origin
Filipino0.5%(859)
Chinese0.3%(516)
Japanese0.3%(458)
Korean0.2%(404)
Cambodian0.1%(138)
Asian Indian0.1%(110)
Taiwanese0%(37)
Hmong0%(36)
Laotian0%(15)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Thai0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.3%(601)
Fijian0%(86)
Chamorro0%(51)
Tongan0%(14)
Ancestry
English2.1%(3,765)
Irish1.7%(3,134)
German1.7%(3,125)
American1.5%(2,624)
Italian0.7%(1,304)
French0.3%(555)
Scottish0.2%(445)
Norwegian0.2%(385)
West Indian0.2%(327)
Portuguese0.2%(300)
Jamaican0.2%(292)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
Swiss0.2%(279)
Dutch0.1%(265)
Swedish0.1%(215)
Polish0.1%(212)
British0.1%(189)
Arab0.1%(143)
Hungarian0.1%(132)
Canadian0.1%(102)
Scotch-Irish0.1%(97)
Czech0%(87)
Danish0%(86)
Welsh0%(79)
Slovak0%(60)
Ghanaian0%(50)
Ukrainian0%(47)
Ethiopian0%(45)
Nigerian0%(45)
Armenian0%(35)
Russian0%(34)
Greek0%(32)
Jordanian0%(30)
Egyptian0%(26)
Slovene0%(25)
Lebanese0%(18)
Croatian0%(13)
Iranian0%(13)
Haitian0%(13)
Belgian0%(11)
Finnish0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
16.1%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
71.5%
+12.5 ptssince 2000
from 59.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
4.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2000
from 3.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.1 min
+63%since 2000
from 13.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.8%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
7.2%
+3.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.1%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
12.5%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 16.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
53.0%
−1.8 ptssince 2011
from 54.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
63.3%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 64.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
18.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 20.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
25.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 25.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Female
48.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Foreign born
31.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 31.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.4%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.8%
+1.4 ptssince 2012
from 13.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.0%
−15.3 ptssince 2013
from 21.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.1%
+20.3 ptssince 2017
from 69.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.3%
+5.5 ptssince 2020
from 88.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.3%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 89.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
24.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 24.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
74.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2016
from 73.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married44.5%(31,702)
Married46.6%(33,149)
Widowed2.1%(1,507)
Divorced6.8%(4,817)
Women 15+
Never married36.4%(24,311)
Married43.9%(29,310)
Widowed9.3%(6,224)
Divorced10.4%(6,936)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.0%
−15.3 ptssince 2013
from 21.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
36.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 37.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
7.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 8.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.5%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
49.8%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 46.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
43.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 44.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
58.2%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 55.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)29.6%(1,316)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)28.2%(1,254)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.7%(1,231)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.6%(291)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(30)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 4,439 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Imperial County to nearby counties

IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
Riverside County
Income$93,074+61%
Home value$557,300+80%
Population2,544,916+1303%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
San Diego County
Income$106,268+84%
Home value$854,700+176%
Population3,282,248+1709%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
Yuma County
Income$62,876+9%
Home value$217,800−30%
Population224,449+24%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
La Paz County
Income$49,478−14%
Home value$135,800−56%
Population16,711−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Imperial County, California?

Imperial County, California has about 180,202 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Imperial County, California?

The typical household in Imperial County, California earns about $57,681 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Imperial County, California expensive?

In Imperial County, California, the median home is worth about $309,600, and the typical rent is about $1,056 a month.

How educated are people in Imperial County, California?

About 16.1% of adults age 25 and over in Imperial County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Imperial County, California?

About 19.5% of people in Imperial County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Imperial County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Imperial County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 70,899 residents, a change of about 65 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →