City · California
Imperial, California
Imperial, city, in Imperial County, California. Imperial had 22,330 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 9.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 20,263 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 21,430 (±26). GEOID 0636280.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
22,330
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 20,263 · ACS 2020-2024: 21,430 ±26
Median household income
$90,195
±$7,757 (90% margin)
California: $99,122
Median home value
$360,900
±$14,209 (90% margin)
California: $734,700
Median gross rent
$1,255
±$316 (90% margin)
California: $2,036
Where is Imperial and what county is it in?
Imperial is a city in Imperial County, California. It covers 6.3 square miles of land, 3,213 residents per square mile in 2020.
Imperial is in the El Centro, CA metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Imperial, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 22,330 people lived in Imperial on July 1, 2025, up 9.7% since 2020, while California shrank 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 20,263 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 21,430 (±26).
| Measure | Imperial | Imperial County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 21,430 ±26 | 180,202 | +3,976 |
| Households | 5,980 ±432 | 49,644 | +1,599 |
| Average household size | 3.58 ±0.25 | 3.49 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 6,732 ±518 | 58,044 | +1,086 |
Imperial's population since 2000
From 7,560 in 2000 to 22,330 in 2025: up 195.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Imperial as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Imperial?
The median resident of Imperial is 31.3 years old; 34.8% are under 18 and 9.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 85.4%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 10.5%. 25.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Imperial | Imperial County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.3 ±3.4 | 33.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 34.8% ±4.0 pts | 28.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 9.5% ±2.1 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Male | 49.3% ±2.9 pts | 51.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 85.4% ±3.3 pts | 86.0% | +7.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 10.5% ±2.7 pts | 9.1% | −6.6 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±1.2 pts | 1.3% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.4 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 25.0% ±3.4 pts | 31.6% | +5.2 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 70.3% ±5.2 pts | 75.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.7% ±1.9 pts | 3.4% | – |
| With a disability | 13.1% ±2.3 pts | 14.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.8% ±2.1 pts | 6.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.0% ±4.8 pts | 71.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.7% ±4.4 pts | 16.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.6% ±2.1 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.7% ±2.5 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.1% ±1.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Imperial earn?
Half of Imperial's 5,980 households earn less than $90,195 a year (±$7,757), against $57,681 in Imperial County and $99,122 in California. In 2015-2019 the median was $105,414 in 2024 dollars, so it fell by $15,219 after inflation. 12.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Imperial | Imperial County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,195 ±$7,757 | $57,681 | −$15,219 |
| Mean household income | $103,974 ±$9,968 | $79,363 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,877 ±$3,140 | $23,552 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 12.5% ±4.6 pts | 19.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 10.8% ±6.0 pts | 24.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 16.8% ±6.4 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.5% ±2.1 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.7% ±3.3 pts | 90.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Imperial?
Owners occupy 69.5% of Imperial's occupied homes and renters 30.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $360,900 by its owner (±$14,209). The median renter pays $1,255 a month including utilities, and 31.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Imperial | Imperial County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $360,900 ±$14,209 | $309,600 | +$65,657 |
| Median gross rent | $1,255 ±$316 | $1,056 | −$461 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 31.3% ±11.1 pts | 43.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,034 ±$111 | $1,774 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 69.5% ±6.7 pts | 56.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 30.5% ±6.7 pts | 43.2% | – |
| Housing units | 6,732 ±518 | 58,044 | +1,086 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.1% ±3.5 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.1% ±5.7 pts | 62.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±0.6 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 8.2% ±3.7 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 18.5% ±5.1 pts | 9.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.6% ±2.7 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.2% ±1.9 pts | 6.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Imperial building?
Builders took permits for 4 new housing units in Imperial in 2025 (4 in single-family houses), 0.2 per 1,000 residents against 2.6 across California.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Imperial work and get to work?
79.1% of Imperial's workers drive alone and 7.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 18.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 8.2%.
| Measure | Imperial | Imperial County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.6% ±5.3 pts | 53.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.2% ±3.2 pts | 12.5% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 79.1% ±5.1 pts | 79.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.1% ±3.7 pts | 8.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 2.3% ±2.2 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.5% ±3.7 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.6 min ±2.1 | 22.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Imperial?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Imperial, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $85,485 (Tract 112.01) to $91,394 (Tract 110.02).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 110.02Imperial County | 11,566 | $91,394 |
| Tract 112.01Imperial County | 8,978 | $85,485 |
| Tract 110.01Imperial County | 6,566 | $86,672 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Imperial) · Census block assignment files
How does Imperial compare with other places in California?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Imperial is the 1,774th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 290th-most populous of 483 in California.
Imperial ranks 559th of 1,037 places in California with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 290th | 483 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 20th | 469 |
| Residents per square mile | 424th | 1,077 |
| Median household income | 559th | 1,037 |
| Per capita income | 795th | 1,073 |
| Median home value | 830th | 1,054 |
| Median gross rent | 816th | 987 |
| Poverty rate | 362nd | 836 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 646th | 988 |
| Median age | 948th | 1,075 |
| Owner-occupied share | 459th | 1,064 |
| Work from home | 704th | 822 |
| Travel time to work | 991st | 1,069 |
Imperial's figures with every place in California (CSV)
Every place in California, sortable · Compare Imperial with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Imperial?
13 of the 57 figures for Imperial on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Imperial are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Imperial.