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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Imperial County

California · 179,702 residents · 4,176 sq mi
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The short version

Imperial County is home to 179,702 people in California. 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 33% national rate. The foreign-born share is 30%. Households here earn about 41% less than in California as a whole. The median age is 34.6, younger than the US median of 38.8. 22.5% of people here live below the federal poverty line.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 34.6
US median: 38.8
Less educated
15% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 47%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
179,702
+26%since 2000
from 142,361 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
34.6
+12%since 2000
from 31.0 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
4,176 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
102K124K145K166K188K19902000201020202024Imperial County
2024180K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56%(10,762)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.3%(13,156)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 148.2%(14,696)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 197.9%(14,164)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.8%(12,159)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.4%(25,928)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.7%(22,793)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5411.5%(20,675)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6411.6%(20,876)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 748.3%(14,850)
US avg: 10%
75 to 843.8%(6,785)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.6%(2,858)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$46,222
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,870 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$18,064
+36%since 2000
from $13,239 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
31.8%
+8.8 ptssince 2009
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
22.5%
Unchangedsince 2000
from 22.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.4%
US avg: 11.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing9.6%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction9.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Finance & insurance6.5%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade5.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade4.3%
US avg: 10%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Other services3.4%
US avg: 6.6%
Education & health services3%
US avg: 0.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Public administration1.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
US avg: 2%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$206,700
+47%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $93,800 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$847
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $504 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
55.0%
−3.3 ptssince 2000
from 58.3% in 2000
45.0% rent
Persons per household
3.73 people
+15%since 2009
from 3.23 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.5
−18%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.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic9.4%(16,813)
Black2.1%(3,846)
Hispanic / Latino85.2%(153,027)
Asian1.2%(2,244)
Other1.4%(2,602)
Segregation Score
39
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
Mexican81.4%(147,026)
Salvadoran0.6%(1,055)
Spaniard0.5%(823)
Puerto Rican0.4%(712)
Guatemalan0.2%(390)
Colombian0.2%(272)
Honduran0.1%(213)
Venezuelan0.1%(182)
Chilean0.1%(178)
Nicaraguan0.1%(166)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(105)
Cuban0%(76)
Argentine0%(57)
Bolivian0%(32)
Peruvian0%(22)
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(654)
Korean0.3%(506)
Filipino0.3%(454)
Asian Indian0.2%(288)
Japanese0.1%(254)
Taiwanese0.1%(167)
Vietnamese0.1%(156)
Burmese0%(30)
Cambodian0%(25)
Pakistani0%(13)
Hmong0%(7)
Laotian0%(2)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Thai0%(2)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.3%(575)
Chamorro0.1%(112)
Fijian0%(43)
Tongan0%(24)
Ancestry
German2.1%(3,757)
Irish1.8%(3,189)
American1.3%(2,309)
English1.2%(2,203)
Italian0.7%(1,325)
French0.7%(1,285)
Scottish0.4%(703)
Swiss0.3%(458)
Swedish0.2%(349)
Polish0.2%(317)
Portuguese0.2%(279)
+ 35 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.1%(269)
Welsh0.1%(257)
Scotch-Irish0.1%(236)
Danish0.1%(223)
Dutch0.1%(206)
Arab0.1%(205)
West Indian0.1%(199)
Greek0.1%(157)
Syrian0.1%(156)
British0.1%(155)
Russian0.1%(152)
Nigerian0.1%(140)
Lebanese0.1%(120)
Iranian0.1%(108)
Hungarian0.1%(107)
Israeli0%(90)
Austrian0%(84)
Czech0%(78)
Armenian0%(58)
Turkish0%(31)
Jamaican0%(30)
Egyptian0%(28)
Belgian0%(28)
Canadian0%(28)
Brazilian0%(26)
Croatian0%(16)
Ukrainian0%(12)
Haitian0%(11)
Slovene0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
15.4%
+5.1 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
70.2%
+11.1 ptssince 2000
from 59.0% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
4.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 3.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.1 min
+64%since 2000
from 13.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
79.7%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 78.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
7.1%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
13.7%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 16.4% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
51.5%
−3.3 ptssince 2011
from 54.9% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
64.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
25.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 25.3% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 51.9% in 2009
Female
48.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
Foreign born
30.1%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 31.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
7.0%
−14.3 ptssince 2013
from 21.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
88.8%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
89.3%
US average: 86.2%
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

Uninsured
7.0%
−14.3 ptssince 2013
from 21.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
37.3%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
8.3%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
15.5%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
46.9%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.4%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
44.6%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
55.6%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)23.5%(1,353)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)24.6%(1,414)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era29.8%(1,711)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War8.4%(484)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2%(117)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 5,749 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

Places similar to Imperial County

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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+101%
Home value$557,300+170%
Population2,544,916+1303%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
San Diego County
Income$106,268+130%
Home value$854,700+313%
Population3,282,248+1709%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
Yuma County
Income$62,876+36%
Home value$217,800+5%
Population224,449+24%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
IMPERIAL COUNTY VS
La Paz County
Income$49,478+7%
Home value$135,800−34%
Population16,711−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Imperial County, California?

Imperial County, California has about 179,702 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Imperial County, California earns about $46,222 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 $206,700, and the typical rent is about $847 a month.

How educated are people in Imperial County, California?

About 15.4% 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 22.5% 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 70,399 residents, a change of about 64 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 →