Metro area · CBSA 20940
El Centro
The El Centro, CA metro area has 180,202 people. Median rent is $1,056, 22.0% of median household income, and HUD puts the 2-bedroom fair market rent in Imperial County at $1,347. Of the 12 places we track here, Desert Shores has the lightest rent burden.
Median household income
$57,681
Median home value
$309,600
Unemployment
12.5%
2-bedroom fair market rent
$1,347
HUD, Imperial County
Places in this metro
Largest first. Rent to income is the median rent as a share of median household income.
| Place | Population | Rent | Rent to income |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro | 44,240 | $1,052 | 23.8% |
| Calexico | 38,585 | $1,093 | 26.3% |
| Brawley | 27,283 | $988 | 20.0% |
| Imperial | 21,430 | $1,255 | 16.7% |
| Heber | 7,312 | $1,086 | 18.1% |
| Calipatria | 6,548 | $919 | 20.7% |
| Salton City | 5,988 | $1,372 | 34.4% |
| Holtville | 5,617 | $861 | 15.9% |
| Westmorland | 1,844 | $793 | 16.5% |
| Seeley | 1,182 | $1,100 | 21.0% |
| Niland | 1,116 | $768 | 43.2% |
| Desert Shores | 801 | $514 | 10.7% |
Nearby metro areas
Data as of 2026-11-14. How these figures are built.