Coachella vs El Centro
Coachella, California versus El Centro, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Coachella and El Centro score about the same overall (40 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Coachella | El Centro |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $52k | $55k |
| Cost of Living | $69k | $47k |
| Home Value | $301k | $267k |
| Monthly Rent | $983 | $938 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.20% | 0.91% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.11% | 20.62% |
| Unemployment | 11.9% | 10.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 56°F | 56°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 91°F | 92°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 3.0 in | 2.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 333 days | 330 days |
| Summer Humidity | 56°F | 57°F |
| Comfortable Days | 71 days | 76 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 89.5 | 96.4 |
| Air Quality | 56 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 74.2 | 75.7 |
| Violent Crime | 922/100k | 964/100k |
| Property Crime | 1667/100k | 2087/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 42,279 | 44,184 |
| Median Age | 34.9 | 32.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.60 | 0.67 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.03 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+25 |
| White (%) | 1.4% | 7.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.4% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 97.7% | 88.2% |
| Asian (%) | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 12.3/20 | 12.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 89 mi | 95 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.8% | 91.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 14.66 | 24.90 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Coachella or El Centro more affordable?
- El Centro has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Coachella's $69k and El Centro's $47k. Median rent is $983 in Coachella versus $938 in El Centro.
- Is Coachella or El Centro safer?
- Coachella has the lower violent crime rate. Coachella reports 922/100k and El Centro reports 964/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Coachella or El Centro?
- The median home value is $301k in Coachella and $267k in El Centro, so homes are more affordable in El Centro.