El Centro vs La Quinta
El Centro, California versus La Quinta, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
El Centro and La Quinta score about the same overall (43 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | El Centro | La Quinta |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $55k | $93k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $69k |
| Home Value | $267k | $561k |
| Monthly Rent | $938 | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.91% | 0.93% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.62% | 21.87% |
| Unemployment | 10.2% | 8.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 56°F | 56°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 92°F | 91°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 2.5 in | 2.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 330 days | 333 days |
| Summer Humidity | 57°F | 56°F |
| Comfortable Days | 76 days | 87 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 96.4 | 59.7 |
| Air Quality | 51 AQI | 55 AQI |
| School Quality | 75.7 | 65.1 |
| Violent Crime | 964/100k | 553/100k |
| Property Crime | 2087/100k | 2593/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 44,184 | 37,933 |
| Median Age | 32.2 | 51.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.67 | 0.53 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 1.09 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | Even |
| White (%) | 7.1% | 54.2% |
| Black (%) | 3.1% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 88.2% | 36.6% |
| Asian (%) | 1.3% | 3.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 0.3% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 12.7/20 | 12.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 95 mi | 83 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 91.0% | 93.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 24.90 | 23.20 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
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 El Centro or La Quinta more affordable?
- El Centro has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with El Centro's $47k and La Quinta's $69k. Median rent is $938 in El Centro versus $2k in La Quinta.
- Is El Centro or La Quinta safer?
- La Quinta has the lower violent crime rate. El Centro reports 964/100k and La Quinta reports 553/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in El Centro or La Quinta?
- The median home value is $267k in El Centro and $561k in La Quinta, so homes are more affordable in El Centro.