Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Calexico earns a D, ranked 703rd of 841 in California, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $50K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country. In its favor, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 74% of U.S. towns. Calexico’s July high is 108°F, above both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). On safety, just 42 of California’s 426 towns do better. Calexico's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns.
Where Calexico beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
US Inspection Station-CalexicoEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Calexico is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 797 in 1910, 38,633 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 4 maps from 1942 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Calexico, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Calexico.
Calexico fares better on crime within California than nationally, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
Home values rose 34% in five years, to about $395K, against 13% across California.
The typical Calexico home is worth about $395,000, up 4.4% in a year, 48% below the California typical home. Calexico’s median rent is $1,093 a month.
| Calexico | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,093 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Calexico Unified school district. Two of its 14 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cesar Chavez ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 765 | – |
| Calexico HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,746 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 5,719 U.S. towns with household incomes like Calexico’s, it is healthier than 53%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
17% of adults have diabetes in Calexico. Calexico beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 35% of adults have obesity in Calexico.
| Calexico | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 22% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 24% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 16% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Calexico | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.9% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 24% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 3 of Calexico’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Calexico has added 1,968 jobs, to 9,755 in 2023. 7.4% of Calexico workers work from home.
| Calexico | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 30% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
5.9 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves.
| Calexico | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kennedy Gardens Parks | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 2. Adrian C. Cordova Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
| 3. Nosotros Little League Field | 0.1 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
January nights average 43.9°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 107.8°.
Calexico has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. The January low in Calexico is 44°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 13.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 91% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes rose from 353 to 388 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Calexico
About 9 of every 100 Calexico residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
2 places in Calexico on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in California, United States
Calexico () is a city in southern Imperial County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, Calexico had a population of 38,633. Situated on the Mexican border, it is linked economically with the much larger city of Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California. It is about 122 miles (196 km) east of San Diego and 62 miles (100 km) west of Yuma, Arizona. Calexico, along with six other incorporated Imperial County cities, forms part of the larger populated area known as the Imperial Valley. First explored by Europeans in the 18th century, Calexico began as a small tent community which was ultimately incorporated in 1908.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Calexico grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #703 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health, B for safety and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 6.9 years of the area's median household income ($57,681 across the El Centro, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
