Housing data for El Centro, CA
El Centro, CA has an estimated 44,240 residents and 14,656 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Imperial County.
50.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,052 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+0.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 44,240 (±41)
- Housing units
- 14,656 (±455)
- Households that rent
- 50.5%
- Median gross rent
- $1,052
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +0.5%
What stands out in El Centro
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 22.8% (±3.3 points) in El Centro, higher than in Imperial County (16.0%).
Homes built before 1980: 47.3% (±4.7 points) in El Centro, higher than in Imperial County (38.6%).
Households that rent: 50.5% (±3.0 points) in El Centro, higher than in Imperial County (43.2%).
Housing in El Centro at a glance
- Median rent: $1,052 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,086 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 54.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 50.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $53,082 median household income
- Home values: $323,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,839 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,567 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 22.8% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 55.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 47.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 5.1% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 70.4% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 22.0 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 247 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +0.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 22.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 11.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room
El Centro against Imperial County, its state and the nation
| El Centro | Imperial County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 44,240 (±41) | 180,202 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 14,656 (±455) | 58,044 (±117) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 50.5% (±3.0 points) | 43.2% (±2.0 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,052 (±$63) | $1,056 (±$30) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $53,082 (±$5,563) | $57,681 (±$2,564) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $323,100 (±$11,809) | $309,600 (±$8,398) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,567 (±$231) | $2,394 (±$125) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 47.3% (±4.7 points) | 38.6% (±2.1 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 22.0 minutes (±2.3) | 22.1 minutes (±1.1) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 93.5% (±1.7 points) | 90.1% (±1.1 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 31.0 years (±1.2) | 33.2 years (±0.2) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
El Centro covers 12.1 square miles of land, about 3,651 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How El Centro has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 44,003 (±46) | 44,240 (±41) | +0.5% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 13,822 (±501) | 14,656 (±455) | +6.0% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $803 (±$34) | $1,052 (±$63) | +31.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $192,600 (±$9,694) | $323,100 (±$11,809) | +67.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $47,864 (±$2,685) | $53,082 (±$5,563) | +10.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,533 (±$63) | $1,839 (±$128) | +20.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,688 (±$103) | $2,567 (±$231) | +52.1% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 49.2% (±2.5 points) | 50.5% (±3.0 points) | +1.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.4% (±2.6 points) | 5.1% (±2.9 points) | −1.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in El Centro
In 2025, the El Centro Police Department reported 247 violent and 944 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Imperial County, the departments that report recorded 263 violent and 665 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in El Centro
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92243 | 11% | 49,069 | $1,054 | $317,900 | $55,057 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near El Centro
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial | 3.7 mi | $1,255 | $360,900 | 30.5% |
| Heber | 4.1 mi | $1,086 | $335,600 | 32.0% |
| Seeley | 7.3 mi | $1,100 | $198,200 | 48.5% |
| Calexico | 8.0 mi | $1,093 | $313,600 | 49.8% |
| Holtville | 11 mi | $861 | $310,100 | 50.1% |
| Brawley | 13 mi | $988 | $290,700 | 48.4% |
| Westmorland | 18 mi | $793 | $310,200 | 51.3% |
| Calipatria | 27 mi | $919 | $197,200 | 35.9% |
Places in California most like El Centro
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brawley | $988 | $290,700 | $59,311 | 48.4% |
| Red Bluff | $1,121 | $299,900 | $51,529 | 57.2% |
| Anderson | $962 | $283,000 | $47,375 | 41.9% |
| Parlier | $1,105 | $256,400 | $52,357 | 54.1% |
| Woodlake | $968 | $300,200 | $46,266 | 44.9% |
| Corning | $961 | $313,100 | $56,627 | 47.8% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for El Centro, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $938 | $1,030 | $1,347 | $1,819 | $2,251 |
HUD income limits for El Centro, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $20,450 | $34,000 | $54,400 |
| 2 people | $23,350 | $38,850 | $62,200 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $43,700 | $69,950 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $48,550 | $77,700 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $52,450 | $83,950 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $56,350 | $90,150 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $60,250 | $96,350 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $64,100 | $102,600 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the El Centro, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $75,500.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about El Centro
What is the average rent in El Centro, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in El Centro is $1,052 (±$63) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in El Centro?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in El Centro, CA is $768 (±$66) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in El Centro rent-burdened?
54.0% of renting households in El Centro pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in El Centro?
El Centro has an estimated 6,513 (±482) renting households, 50.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in El Centro?
The median household income in El Centro is $53,082 (±$5,563) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in El Centro, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $323,100 (±$11,809) for owner-occupied homes in El Centro (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is El Centro growing?
In El Centro, the number of residents went from 44,003 in 2015–2019 to 44,240 in 2020–2024 (+0.5%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in El Centro?
The ZIP code that covers El Centro is 92243.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 92243?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 92243 is $1,054 (±$62) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Centro city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Centro city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Centro city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Centro city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Centro city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — El Centro city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — El Centro city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: El Centro, CA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: El Centro, CA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: El Centro Police Department (ORI CA0130400)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for El Centro city, California (place:21782, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .