The Town FilesEl Centro, California
City in Imperial County · population 44,322 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $323,100
- Household income
- $53,082
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 107°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 31.0
El Centro is a city of 44,322 people in Imperial County, California. The median home is worth $323,100, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more vibrant than 85% of California towns, more of a college town than 78% of California towns, easier by car than 76% of California towns.
How El Centro ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in El Centro is worth $323,100, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.1 times the median household income of $53,082, which is more affordable than 56% of California towns. Median rent is $1,052 a month. 49.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | El Centro | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $323,100 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,052 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $53,082 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.1× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 49.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1982 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.6% | — |
Who lives in El Centro
| People | El Centro | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 30.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.9% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 21.6% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 29.6% | — |
| Work from home | 5.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.5% | 93.3% |
Weather in El Centro
July highs average 106.9°F and January lows 43.4°F. About 2.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 180 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of El Centro since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 24, 1997 about 6.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 24, 1997.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 3 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 14, 1990.
Severe weather in Imperial County since 1996
Imperial County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, freezing, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| November 21, 2023 | Hurricane | DR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3428: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Imperial County
Imperial County had 67,166 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,639 a year. Unemployment was 17.3% in 2023; in El Centro itself the ACS puts it at 9.9%.
Public schools in El Centro
24 public schools with 11,636 students, about 21.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Union High | 9-12 | 1,955 | 21.3 |
| Southwest High | 9-12 | 1,842 | 20.2 |
| McCabe Elementary | K-8 | 1,164 | 24.8 |
| Wilson Jr. High | 7-8 | 641 | 20.0 |
| Harding Elementary | K-6 | 585 | 23.4 |
| De Anza Magnet | K-8 | 492 | 24.6 |
| Imperial County Special Education | K-12 | 491 | 12.0 |
| Margaret Hedrick Elementary | K-6 | 460 | 23.0 |
| McKinley Elementary | K-6 | 456 | 25.3 |
| Kennedy Middle | 7-8 | 438 | 19.0 |
| Lincoln Elementary | K-6 | 436 | 21.8 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary | K-6 | 415 | 24.4 |
Towns near El Centro
- Imperial, CA3.7 mi · 20,263 people · home $360,900
- Heber, CA4.1 mi · 6,896 people · home $335,600
- Calexico, CA8.0 mi · 38,633 people · home $313,600
- Holtville, CA10.7 mi · 5,605 people · home $310,100
- Brawley, CA13.4 mi · 26,416 people · home $290,700
- Calipatria, CA26.8 mi · 6,515 people · home $197,200
El Centro questions
Is El Centro, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, El Centro scores better for retirees than 18% of California towns and quieter than 9%. 14.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.0).
How much does a house cost in El Centro?
The median owner-occupied home in El Centro is valued at $323,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $53,082, so homes cost about 6.1 times income. Median rent is $1,052 a month.
What is the weather like in El Centro?
July highs average 106.9°F and January lows 43.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 2.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does El Centro get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of El Centro since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on September 24, 1997. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)