El Centro, California
Population, housing costs, incomes, jobs, commuting and climate in El Centro, compared with California and the U.S. using Census records and their margins of error.
El Centro city · Incorporated city · Census GEOID 0621782 · California directory
- Population · July 1, 2025
- 44,382 PEP Vintage 2025
- Change · 2024 to 2025
- -0.4% -170 residents
- Household income
- $53,082 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$5,563
- Home value
- $323,100 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$11,809
- Monthly gross rent
- $1,052 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$63
- Median age
- 31.0 years ACS 2020–2024 · ±1.2
El Centro is an incorporated city in Imperial County, California, part of the El Centro, CA metropolitan area. With 44,382 residents on July 1, 2025, it ranks 198th in California and 938th nationally among Census places. Its population fell by 170 (0.4%) in the year to July 2025; since April 2020 it has declined 0.3%. Median gross rent in the 2020–2024 survey is $1,052 a month, 48.3% below the California median. Median household income is $53,082, 46.4% below the California median.
Detailed demographics → Housing and cost-of-living context →
What stands out in El Centro?
Compared with other California places, El Centro is most distinctive for lower rents, lower household incomes and a younger population. Each statement below uses reliable estimates only, and survey differences from the state exceed their combined 90% margin of error.
- Median gross rent: $1,052, 48.3% below the California median ($2,036); lower than 94% of 445 California places with reliable estimates.
- Median household income: $53,082, 46.4% below the California median ($99,122); lower than 93% of 466 California places with reliable estimates.
- Median age: 31.0 years, 6.9 years younger than the California median (37.9 years); lower than 92% of 483 California places with reliable estimates.
- Workers who work from home: 5.9%, 11.3 percentage points below the California rate (17.2%); lower than 92% of 397 California places with reliable estimates.
- Poverty rate: 21.6%, 9.6 percentage points above the California rate (12.0%); higher than 91% of 417 California places with reliable estimates.
How El Centro compares with California and the U.S.
| Measure | El Centro | California | U.S. | Position in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population change since April 2020 PEP Vintage 2025 | -0.3% | — | — | higher than 61% of 483 California places |
| Residents per square mile of land PEP 2025 / Gazetteer 2025 | 3,663 | — | — | higher than 53% of 483 California places |
| Median household income B19013 | $53,082 ±$5,563 | $99,122 | $80,734 | lower than 93% of 466 California places |
| Median home value B25077 | $323,100 ±$11,809 | $734,700 | $332,700 | lower than 86% of 444 California places |
| Median real estate taxes paid B25103 | $2,567 ±$231 | $5,124 | $3,119 | lower than 82% of 417 California places |
| Median gross rent B25064 | $1,052 ±$63 | $2,036 | $1,413 | lower than 94% of 445 California places |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent B25070 | 54.0% ±6.0 pp | 55.3% | 51.1% | lower than 58% of 453 California places |
| Homeownership rate B25003 | 49.5% ±3.0 pp | 55.9% | 65.2% | lower than 80% of 480 California places |
| Median age B01002 | 31.0 years ±1.2 | 37.9 years | 38.9 years | lower than 92% of 483 California places |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher B15003 | 14.9% ±1.8 pp | 37.1% | 35.7% | lower than 84% of 465 California places |
| Poverty rate B17001 | 21.6% ±3.2 pp | 12.0% | 12.5% | higher than 91% of 417 California places |
| People without health insurance B27010 | 4.7% ±0.9 pp | 6.6% | 8.4% | lower than 66% of 385 California places |
| Households with a broadband subscription B28002 | 93.5% ±1.2 pp | 93.5% | 91.0% | lower than 53% of 478 California places |
| Unemployment rate (civilian labor force) B23025 | 9.9% ±1.7 pp | 6.6% | 5.2% | higher than 88% of 375 California places |
| Foreign-born residents B05002 | 29.6% ±2.5 pp | 27.0% | 14.1% | higher than 69% of 448 California places |
| Jobs located in the place per 100 residents LODES 8.4 / PEP | 46.6 | — | — | higher than 65% of 476 California places |
| Change in local jobs since 2019 LODES 8.4 | +4.1% | — | — | higher than 60% of 470 California places |
| Workers who work from home B08301 | 5.9% ±2.1 pp | 17.2% | 15.1% | lower than 92% of 397 California places |
| Commutes of 45 minutes or longer B08303 | 9.8% ±2.4 pp | 19.4% | 16.5% | lower than 87% of 424 California places |
| Households without a vehicle B08201 | 5.8% ±1.7 pp | 7.1% | 8.4% | higher than 53% of 327 California places |
Positions compare El Centro with California places in this directory whose estimate has a coefficient of variation of 30% or less (survey measures) or a published PEP value. The marker runs from the lowest value (left) to the highest (right); it is a description, not a score or a recommendation.
How many people live in El Centro?
The latest official estimate is 44,382 residents on July 1, 2025. It ranks 938th by population nationally and 198th in California among this directory’s PEP places. Population changed by 170 residents between the 2024 and 2025 estimates. These are annual estimates, not census enumerations.
| Reference date | Population | Change from previous estimate |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2020 | 44,420 | Separate from April 2020 base |
| July 1, 2021 | 44,209 | -211 |
| July 1, 2022 | 44,088 | -121 |
| July 1, 2023 | 44,185 | +97 |
| July 1, 2024 | 44,552 | +367 |
| July 1, 2025 | 44,382 | -170 |
From the revised April 2020 base to July 2025, the change is −155 residents (-0.3%). This is a within-vintage comparison. Boundary adjustments can affect both the estimates and their interpretation.
Download this population chart (SVG) · Official population release
Where are the boundaries?
- Entity and stable identifier
- El Centro city, California · Incorporated city · 0621782
- Counties or equivalents · 2025 boundaries
- Imperial County
- Metropolitan or micropolitan context · July 2023 delineations
- El Centro, CA — Metropolitan Statistical Area County associations use Census PEP county place parts. Each county is matched by FIPS code to the official CBSA list; a city can span several counties or statistical areas. A missing association can reflect an area outside a CBSA or changed county codes between vintages. City figures on this page remain place-level statistics.
- Land area
- 12.1 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
- Water area
- 0.0 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
- Approximate population density
- 3,663 residents per square mile of land
- Internal point
- 32.786351°, -115.560206° · Census geographic reference point
Density divides the July 2025 estimate by 2025 Gazetteer land area, so it is approximate. The internal point is a locator, not an address. Census place profile reference .
Income and poverty
| Measure / survey universe | City estimate ± MOE | State estimate ± MOE | U.S. estimate ± MOE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income Households · USD/year | $53,082 ±$5,563 | $99,122 ±$310 | $80,734 ±$166 |
| Per-capita income Total population · USD/year | $23,590 ±$1,315 | $49,513 ±$168 | $44,673 ±$122 |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty level | 9,487 ±1,407 | 21.6% ±3.2 pp |
Household income combines the incomes of everyone in a household; per-capita income divides all income by every resident. The poverty rate is 21.6% (±3.2 percentage points) under the official Census definition.
Home values, rent and tenure
| Measure / survey universe | City estimate ± MOE | State estimate ± MOE | U.S. estimate ± MOE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median owner-occupied home value Owner-occupied housing units · USD | $323,100 ±$11,809 | $734,700 ±$1,307 | $332,700 ±$236 |
| Median gross rent Renter-occupied units paying cash rent · USD/month | $1,052 ±$63 | $2,036 ±$5 | $1,413 ±$2 |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Owner occupied | 6,377 ±469 | 49.5% ±3.0 pp |
| Renter occupied | 6,513 ±482 | 50.5% ±3.1 pp |
Owner-occupied units make up 49.5% of occupied housing. Gross rent includes estimated tenant-paid utilities and home values are owners’ own estimates; both cover 2020–2024 leases and homes rather than current listings. The median home value is 6.1 times the median household income.
See housing units, occupancy, rent burden and homeowner costs .
Monthly rent by bedroom count
| Bedrooms | Monthly gross rent | 90% margin of error | Precision |
|---|---|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | $761 | ±$76 | Estimate with MOE |
| 1 bedroom | $768 | ±$66 | Estimate with MOE |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,086 | ±$68 | Estimate with MOE |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,213 | ±$69 | Estimate with MOE |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,761 | ±$110 | Estimate with MOE |
| 5 or more bedrooms | At least $3,500 | Unavailable | Open-ended range |
Census table B25031 describes renter-occupied units paying cash rent within this exact place geography. Gross rent includes contract rent and estimated tenant-paid utilities. These survey medians include existing leases across 2020–2024; they are not current apartment listings. Missing categories stay unavailable, and open-ended medians remain ranges. Small bedroom categories can have large margins of error. Download source values and provenance .
Employment among residents
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force | 18,401 ±903 | 57.1% ±2.4 pp |
| Not in the labor force | 13,797 ±880 | 42.9% ±2.5 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian employed | 16,527 ±931 | 90.1% ±2.6 pp |
| Civilian unemployed | 1,809 ±331 | 9.9% ±1.7 pp |
These estimates describe residents of El Centro wherever they work; jobs at workplaces inside the city appear under jobs located in El Centro. They are 2020–2024 averages, not a current monthly unemployment rate.
Which industries employ residents?
Education, health care and social assistance is the largest of the published broad industry groups among employed residents: 27.4% (4,532 people; ±3.2 percentage points). The estimate covers residents’ industries wherever they work, rather than employers located inside the place.
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting and mining | 946 ±340 | 5.7% ±2.0 pp |
| Construction | 962 ±273 | 5.8% ±1.6 pp |
| Manufacturing | 516 ±207 | 3.1% ±1.2 pp |
| Wholesale trade | 362 ±141 | 2.2% ±0.8 pp |
| Retail trade | 2,061 ±428 | 12.5% ±2.5 pp |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 1,314 ±386 | 8.0% ±2.3 pp |
| Information | 136 ±97 · low precision | 0.8% ±0.6 pp · low precision |
| Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing | 497 ±174 | 3.0% ±1.0 pp |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste services | 818 ±258 | 4.9% ±1.5 pp |
| Education, health care and social assistance | 4,532 ±589 | 27.4% ±3.2 pp |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services | 1,648 ±361 | 10.0% ±2.1 pp |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,114 ±336 | 6.7% ±2.0 pp |
| Public administration | 1,621 ±383 | 9.8% ±2.3 pp |
Occupations among employed residents
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Management, business, science and arts | 4,186 ±505 | 25.3% ±2.7 pp |
| Service occupations | 4,719 ±626 | 28.6% ±3.4 pp |
| Sales and office | 2,765 ±456 | 16.7% ±2.6 pp |
| Natural resources, construction and maintenance | 2,285 ±413 | 13.8% ±2.4 pp |
| Production, transportation and material moving | 2,572 ±522 | 15.6% ±3.0 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Management occupations | 823 ±227 | 5.0% ±1.3 pp |
| Computer and mathematical occupations | 161 ±102 · low precision | 1.0% ±0.6 pp · low precision |
| Educational instruction and library occupations | 999 ±275 | 6.0% ±1.6 pp |
| Health practitioners and technical occupations | 851 ±250 | 5.1% ±1.5 pp |
| Sales and related occupations | 1,642 ±381 | 9.9% ±2.2 pp |
| Transportation occupations | 787 ±325 | 4.8% ±1.9 pp |
The detailed groups are subsets of the broad groups and should not be added to them.
How residents get to work
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 12,371 ±813 | 76.7% ±2.8 pp |
| Carpooled | 2,147 ±602 | 13.3% ±3.7 pp |
| Public transportation | 0 ±29 · low precision | 0.0% ±0.2 pp · low precision |
| Taxi or ride-hailing | 83 ±77 · low precision | 0.5% ±0.5 pp · low precision |
| Motorcycle | 31 ±38 · low precision | 0.2% ±0.2 pp · low precision |
| Bicycle | 0 ±29 · low precision | 0.0% ±0.2 pp · low precision |
| Walked | 340 ±194 · low precision | 2.1% ±1.2 pp · low precision |
| Other means | 202 ±124 · low precision | 1.3% ±0.8 pp · low precision |
| Worked from home | 945 ±338 | 5.9% ±2.1 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 15 minutes | 6,495 ±822 | 42.8% ±4.8 pp |
| 15–29 minutes | 5,503 ±720 | 36.3% ±4.3 pp |
| 30–44 minutes | 1,688 ±411 | 11.1% ±2.6 pp |
| 45–59 minutes | 485 ±236 | 3.2% ±1.5 pp |
| 60 minutes or longer | 1,003 ±292 | 6.6% ±1.9 pp |
| Category | Count ± MOE | Share ± MOE (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| No vehicle available | 753 ±226 | 5.8% ±1.7 pp |
Travel times cover workers who did not work from home. Vehicle availability is counted per household, not per driver.
Households and residents
Median age is 31.0 years (±1.2). The demographic profile covers age groups, race and Hispanic origin, household types, nativity, languages, education and moves, each compared with California and the U.S.
How many jobs are located in El Centro?
Employers in El Centro reported 20,606 jobs in 2023, +4.1% compared with 2019 (19,789 jobs). That is 46.6 jobs for every 100 residents in the July 2023 population estimate. These are jobs at workplaces inside the city limits, wherever the workers live, unlike resident employment figures.
| Industry | Jobs | Share of local jobs | California share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 5,056 | 24.5% | 16.1% |
| Public administration | 3,194 | 15.5% | 4.2% |
| Retail trade | 3,158 | 15.3% | 8.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,198 | 10.7% | 9.3% |
| Educational services | 1,758 | 8.5% | 8.6% |
| Administrative, support and waste management services | 1,180 | 5.7% | 6.2% |
| Construction | 650 | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 550 | 2.7% | 7.9% |
| Other services, except public administration | 536 | 2.6% | 3.2% |
| Utilities | 467 | 2.3% | 0.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 388 | 1.9% | 4.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 312 | 1.5% | 3.7% |
| Manufacturing | 292 | 1.4% | 7.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 243 | 1.2% | 2.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 227 | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 146 | 0.7% | 1.7% |
| Information | 103 | 0.5% | 4.4% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 97 | 0.5% | 1.5% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 51 | 0.2% | 2.1% |
| Group | Jobs | Share | California share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,250 a month or less | 3,747 | 18.2% | 15.5% |
| $1,251 to $3,333 a month | 8,092 | 39.3% | 24.9% |
| More than $3,333 a month | 8,767 | 42.5% | 59.6% |
| Age 29 or younger | 4,472 | 21.7% | 20.0% |
| Age 30 to 54 | 11,550 | 56.1% | 55.2% |
| Age 55 or older | 4,584 | 22.2% | 24.8% |
Health care and social assistance is the largest sector for jobs located in El Centro (24.5% of local jobs, compared with 16.1% statewide). Earnings bands describe what each job pays per month, not household income, and a worker can hold more than one job.
Source: Census LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) 8.4, workplace area characteristics, all jobs, second-quarter reference date. Census blocks are summed to 2024 place boundaries. Includes private, state and local government and federal civilian jobs; excludes self-employment, military and informal work. Counts include confidentiality noise and are less precise for small places.
Nearby station climate normals
No station in the retained NOAA release meets our complete standard-normal criteria within 25 km of this place’s Census internal point. We leave local climate values unavailable. Use NOAA’s station lookup to inspect other locations and their coverage.
Check a specific address before moving
City averages help compare places. A particular home’s school assignment, transit service and flood-map coverage need checks at the address.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center — search the address, read the effective map and its date, and check any map changes. An unmapped location does not establish an absence of flood risk.
- NCES public school district directory — find district contact information, then use the district’s official address locator or enrollment office to confirm school assignment. A city name or district boundary alone does not assign a school.
- FCC National Broadband Map — check reported service at the exact location, then confirm availability and terms with the provider.
- Check the official transit operator’s route map and timetable for the address and your actual travel hours; the citywide commuting shares above do not measure service on a particular street.
Sources and data notes
Population: Census PEP Vintage 2025, published May 14, 2026. Survey measures: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates, published January 29, 2026, dollar figures in 2024 dollars. Geography: Census 2025 Gazetteer, with simplified 2024 state outlines for the locator. Statistical estimates and derived values use the same retained records in profiles, comparison, filters and downloads.
Climate uses NOAA 1991–2020 station normals (v1.0.1); jobs located in the city use LEHD LODES 8.4. Crime, school assignments and hazard scores are not inferred from these datasets, and missing values are never treated as zero. Inspect original sources, read calculation details, download this place’s source observations , or submit a correction.