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COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Imperial County

California · 109,303 residents · 4,175.528 sq mi
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The short version

Imperial County has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $22,442. Population has fallen 23% since 2000, a loss of 33,058 residents. 10% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 20%. Median home value is $72,100. At a median age of 28.8, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 37% less than the California median.

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

Total population
109,303
−23%vs 2000
vs 142,361 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
28.8
−7%vs 2000
vs 31.0 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Population, 1990 – 2024
102K124K145K166K188K1990201020202024Imperial 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

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

Housing

Median home value
$72,100
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $93,800 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$394
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $504 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
57.6%
−0.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 58.3% in 2000
42.4% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Imperial County on RentDataNow
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)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
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%
Graduate degree
3.6%
−0.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 3.7% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Imperial County

Citrus County
Pop 171,666
Muscogee County
Pop 202,171
Saginaw County
Pop 187,688
Vanderburgh County
Pop 181,995
Places similar to Imperial County
Head to head

Compare Imperial County to nearby counties

IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
Riverside County
Income$93,074+315%
Home value$557,300+673%
Population2,544,916+1303%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
San Diego County
Income$106,268+374%
Home value$854,700+1085%
Population3,282,248+1709%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
Yuma County
Income$62,876+180%
Home value$217,800+202%
Population224,449+24%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
La Paz County
Income$49,478+120%
Home value$135,800+88%
Population16,711−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
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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Explore from here

40 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 110.02Census Tract 112.01Census Tract 106Census Tract 118.03Census Tract 105Census Tract 116Census Tract 123.02Census Tract 110.01Census Tract 109Census Tract 119.03Census Tract 112.02Census Tract 120.04Census Tract 101.02Census Tract 115Census Tract 120.01Census Tract 118.02Census Tract 117Census Tract 107Census Tract 104.02Census Tract 113.03
15 ZIP codes
ZIP 92243ZIP 92231ZIP 92227ZIP 92251ZIP 92250ZIP 92249ZIP 92233ZIP 92257ZIP 92281ZIP 92283ZIP 92275ZIP 92273ZIP 92259ZIP 92266ZIP 92222
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →