METRO AREA
El Centro Metro
El Centro, CA · 1 counties · 181,411 residents (2025 est.) · 4,176 sq mi
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#6Most foreign-born residentsof 92531.6%The short version
El Centro is home to 180,202 people. 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. 37,841 more people live here than in 2000. 57% of homes are owner-occupied.
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
180,202
+27%since 2000
from 142,361 in 2000
181,411 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
4,176 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024180K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.1%(12,744)
5 to 97.3%(13,065)
10 to 149.1%(16,437)
15 to 197.8%(14,126)
20 to 246.9%(12,411)
25 to 3414.5%(26,093)
35 to 4412.8%(23,056)
45 to 5410.8%(19,520)
55 to 6410%(18,049)
65 to 748%(14,411)
75 to 844.1%(7,320)
85 and over1.6%(2,970)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$57,681
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $31,870 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
39.2%
+16.2 ptssince 2009
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing9.8%
Construction9.6%
Finance & insurance7.6%
Professional, scientific, technical5.2%
Wholesale trade4.9%
Retail trade4.6%
Other services3.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
Education & health services2.4%
Public administration1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.6%
Manufacturing0.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$309,600
+81%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $93,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
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.
31
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)
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.
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)
South American0.2%(341)
Nicaraguan0.1%(192)
Colombian0.1%(165)
Dominican0.1%(138)
Cuban0.1%(121)
Argentine0%(83)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino0.5%(859)
Chinese0.3%(516)
Japanese0.3%(458)
Korean0.2%(404)
Cambodian0.1%(138)
Asian Indian0.1%(110)
Bangladeshi0%(77)
Sri Lankan0%(61)
Vietnamese0%(43)
Taiwanese0%(37)
Hmong0%(36)
Laotian0%(15)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Thai0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.3%(601)
Native Hawaiian0.1%(220)
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)
Subsaharan African0.7%(1,180)
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)
French Canadian0.1%(169)
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)
Lithuanian0%(39)
Armenian0%(35)
Russian0%(34)
Greek0%(32)
Jordanian0%(30)
Egyptian0%(26)
Slovene0%(25)
Cape Verdean0%(19)
Lebanese0%(18)
Croatian0%(13)
Iranian0%(13)
Haitian0%(13)
Belgian0%(11)
Finnish0%(10)
Palestinian0%(6)
Guyanese0%(6)
Austrian0%(5)
Romanian0%(5)
Brazilian0%(3)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
71.5%
+12.5 ptssince 2000
from 59.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
63.3%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 64.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
94.3%
+5.5 ptssince 2020
from 88.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
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
Direct-purchase
7.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 8.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
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)
Gulf War (1990s)28.2%(1,254)
Vietnam era27.7%(1,231)
Korean War6.6%(291)
World War II0.7%(30)
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
In this metro
Largest cities
What's inside
1 component county
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EL CENTRO VS
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EL CENTRO VS
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EL CENTRO VS
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Population156,266−14%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in El Centro, CA?
El Centro, CA has about 180,202 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in El Centro, CA?
The typical household in El Centro, CA earns about $57,681 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is El Centro, CA expensive?
In El Centro, CA, the median home is worth about $309,600, and the typical rent is about $1,056 a month.
How educated are people in El Centro, CA?
About 16.1% of adults age 25 and over in El Centro, CA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in El Centro, CA?
About 19.5% of people in El Centro, CA live below the federal poverty line.
Has El Centro, CA grown since 1990?
Yes, El Centro, CA 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 · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024