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COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Imperial County

California · 109,303 residents · 4,176 sq mi
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The short version

Imperial County is home to 109,303 people in California. Households here earn about 37% less than in California as a whole. 10% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 23.8% of people here live below the federal poverty line. The median age is 28.8, younger than the US median of 33.0. There are 33,058 fewer people here than in 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 28.8
US median: 33.0
Less educated
10% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

109,303
−23%vs 2000
vs 142,361 in 2000
1990 – 2025
28.8
−7%vs 2000
vs 31.0 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
4,176 sq mi
Population, 19902024
102K124K145K166K188K19902000201020202024Imperial County
2024180K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 59.1%(9,997)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 99.8%(10,708)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 149.9%(10,778)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 199%(9,864)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.4%(7,046)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3415.5%(16,891)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4413.5%(14,703)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548.7%(9,505)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648%(8,700)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746.6%(7,194)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 842.9%(3,128)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.7%(789)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$22,442
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $31,870 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$9,208
−30%vs 2000
vs $13,239 in 2000
US average: $14,340
23.8%
+1.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 22.6% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$72,100
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $93,800 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$394
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $504 in 2000
US average: $450
57.6%
−0.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 58.3% in 2000
42.4% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic67.4%(73,620)
Black2.6%(2,837)
Hispanic / Latino65.3%(71,365)
Asian2%(2,171)
Other28.1%(30,675)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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

9.7%
−0.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 10.3% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
53.2%
−5.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 59.0% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
3.6%
−0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 3.7% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

16.7 min
+24%vs 2000
vs 13.5 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

6.0%
−15.3 ptssince 2013
from 21.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
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%
15.5%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 15.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Imperial County, California?

Imperial County, California has about 109,303 residents according to the 1990 Census.

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

The typical household in Imperial County, California earns about $22,442 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 $72,100, and the typical rent is about $394 a month.

How educated are people in Imperial County, California?

About 9.7% 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 23.8% of people in Imperial County, California live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →