Imperial County, California
Among the top 1% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 99% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 22% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 75% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 31% of US counties
- top 1% for sunny days
- top 4% for annual snowfall
- bottom 1% for air quality
Imperial County is a county in California with about 180,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include sunny days, annual snowfall, and walkability. It rates lower on income tax and air quality.
Official websiteimperialcounty.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Sweltering, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
hot
sweltering
hot
warm
comf.
95%81%clearovercast
Precipitation 0.5 in0.1 in
humid 35%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$54k30th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$47kbetter than 32% of US counties
Home Value$256k82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$961better than 27% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 16% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.87%better than 49% of US counties
Income Tax13.23%better than 2% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden20.27%better than 2% of US counties
Unemployment13.2%better than 2% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)56°F96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)92°F100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation3.0 in0th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 96% of US counties
Sunny Days330 daysbetter than 99% of US counties
Summer Humidity57°Fbetter than 84% of US counties
Comfortable Days80 daysbetter than 52% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk96.5better than 3% of US counties
Air Quality61 AQIbetter than 1% of US counties
School Quality87.2better than 87% of US counties
Violent Crime785/100kbetter than 49% of US counties
Property Crime1621/100kbetter than 22% of US counties
Community
Population179,57888th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age32.64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6898th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0682nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+257th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)9.6%3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.3%53rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)85.4%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)1.3%75th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)1.4%8th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time23 minbetter than 63% of US counties
Walkability8.1/20better than 87% of US counties
Airport Distance113 mibetter than 41% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access87.4%better than 76% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.00better than 12% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 34% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Imperial County an affordable place to live?
- Imperial County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $47k, better than 32% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Imperial County?
- The median home value in Imperial County is $256k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Imperial County?
- Median household income in Imperial County is $54k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Imperial County?
- Median gross rent in Imperial County is $961 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Imperial County safe?
- Imperial County is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 785/100k (better than 49%). Property crime is 1621/100k.
- What is the weather like in Imperial County?
- Imperial County averages 92°F in July and 56°F in January, with 3.0 in of annual precipitation and about 330 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Imperial County?
- Public-school quality in Imperial County is above average, scoring better than 87% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Imperial County?
- The average one-way commute in Imperial County is 23 min.
Other counties in California
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)