View of Brawley, Cal., June 1913, 1913
Brawley’s story
123 years in pictures
Census counts: 881 in 1910, 26,416 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
- 1903Brawley is settled
BrawleyCA
Trash & recyclingPhoto: en:User:Epolk Eric Polk · CC BY-SA 2.5
Population
28,008
2025 Census estimate · +5.6% since 2020
Typical home
$359K
+3.9% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
30.6
years
Jobs based here
6,877
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#785 of 841 in CA
Is Brawley a good place to live?
Brawley grades D− overall, ranked 785th of 841 in California, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $59K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. Residents are less healthy than 78% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 75% of U.S. towns. Brawley’s July high is 108°F, above both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. The biggest park or preserve is Cattle Call Park, at 61 acres.
What makes Brawley stand out
Where Brawley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 75% of U.S. towns
3.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1903
A long history
A history going back 123 years.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Earthquakes and inland flooding at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
How Brawley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Brawley is from typical.
Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $359K, 6.2 years of the El Centro metro’s $58K median household incomeC−Open →HealthPioneers Memorial Healthcare District 1.9 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.5 of 20; 8.3% of households have no carA−Open →SchoolsCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 3% conserved landB−Open →History19 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life0.4 library visits per resident; 2.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 30.6; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Brawley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brawley, and how to reach them.
PowerImperial Irrigation District18.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Brawley water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown’s haulerRepublic Services picks up at the curb for every homeTown site
SchoolsBrawley Elementary School DistrictBrawley Union High School District2 districts serve Brawley; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereImperial County Registrar of VotersImperial County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code9222792227 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brawley.
Brawley has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has commutes shorter than most of California, but it has household incomes well below the California norm.
HousingCost of living grade C−
Brawley stands out in California and nationally: the median rent there is lower
The median property tax bill is $1,829, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Brawley’s median rent is $988 a month. The typical Brawley home is worth about $359,000, up 3.9% in a year, 53% below the California typical home. 52% of Brawley households own their home.
$359KZillow home value
| Brawley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $988 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Brawley$359K
California$762K
+3.9%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC
Brawley’s schools rank behind 70% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Brawley Elementary school district. Two of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
30%of CA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Worth Junior HighLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 881 | C− |
| Brawley Union HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,863 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Brawley, with earthquakes at the top
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Brawley since 1982.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 1982
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC−
Brawley earns a C− for health
33% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Brawley. Brawley beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 22% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Brawley.
22%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Brawley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 22% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 16% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 24% | 25% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Brawley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.1% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 21.5% | 10.6% |
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District
1.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
16th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Brawley’s workers commute out
The average commute for its 10,651 working residents takes 18.2 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
About one in 4 of Brawley’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Brawley is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Brawley fell to 6,877 in 2023, 565 fewer than in 2013.
26%work in town
| Brawley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 11% | 14% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Brawley26%
El Centro13%
Calipatria5%
San Diego5%
Imperial4%
14 mi
median commute distance
6,877
jobs based in Brawley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 75% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Brawley, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Brawley 2 Sw weather station records that about 181 days a year reach 90°, more than in 100% of U.S. towns. January nights average 43.4°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 108.2°.
Brawley has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
108°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter44–72°
Spring57–88°
Summer77–107°
Fall62–91°
Dec 19
typical first frost
Jan 16
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
108°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Brawley
Brawley's reported crime rate is below California's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 98 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Brawley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Brawley3.4
California4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Brawley9
California18.2
U.S.15.5
98
violent crimes reported in 2025
257
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
2.6%conserved
| Brawley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
2.6%
conserved · 135 of 5,160 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pat Williams Park | 0.7 mi | 25 |
| 2. Cattle Call Park | — | 61 |
| 3. Park (Proposed) | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Brawley
20pages on Brawley
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 70% of CA districts · 11 schoolsSafety3.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than CA on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$359K typical home · up 3.9% in a yearWork & commuteD$59K median household income · 6,877 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Brawley
About 7 of every 100 Brawley residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Famous people from Brawley
19 notable people were born in Brawley.
About Brawley
City in California, United States
Brawley (formerly Braly) is a city in Imperial County, California, United States within the Imperial Valley. The population was 26,416 at the 2020 census, up from 24,953 at the 2010 census. Year-round agriculture is an important economic activity in Brawley. The town has a significant cattle and feed industry, and hosts the annual Cattle Call Rodeo. Summer daytime temperatures often exceed 105 °F (41 °C).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- -112 ft
- ZIP code
- 92227
- Area code
- 760
Questions about Brawley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brawley, CA a good place to live?
Brawley grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #785 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Brawley, CA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
What is Brawley, CA known for?
19 notable people were born here, including Kayla Miracle and Al McCandless.