US Post Office-El Centro Main · Photo: Cbl62 · CC BY-SA 3.0148 homes sold in El Centro in the last year, at a typical $392K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where El Centro homes are listed.
Every place El Centro homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to El Centro.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
11% of El Centro’s sales are condos, at $199K less than a house
123 houses and 17 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 123 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $252CA $494
- Days to sell
- 48
- Sold over asking
- 35%
- Listings with a price cut
- 21%
typical sale · 17 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $176CA $561
- Days to sell
- 49
- Sold over asking
- 29%
- Listings with a price cut
- 33%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 8 sold, typical $390K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at twice the 2016 price
148 sales in the last year, against 287 in 2021 and a low of 30 in 2013. The typical sale went from $199K in 2016 to $392K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $400K buys in El Centro
Check a listing against what El Centro homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in El Centro are back to pre-pandemic levels, but 54% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of El Centro’s home sales since 2013 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 148 sales.
If you’re buying in El Centro
- Shop in January. It brings about 21 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (28% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.9% of the list price on average; 34% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 31% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 48 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 25 a month), but May is the most competitive: 48% of May sales close over asking. January offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (28%). January has the least competition (28%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like California as a whole
| El Centro now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 34% | 32% | 52% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 31% | 1% | 4% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 19% | — | — | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.9% | 98.7% | 100.6% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 48 | 75 | 60 | 44 |
39 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 3.3 times the 2013 low (12), 54% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2014’s 92.
1 in 5 listings has cut its price
19% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Since 2019, houses are up 72%, condos 68%
A house typically sold for $422K in the last year (123 sales), a condo for $223K (17).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
El Centro ranks 296th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. El Centro is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2013 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical El Centro home costs about $2,305 a month
Price: El Centro’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at El Centro’s 0.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether El Centro is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 15.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $392K home, about $3,120 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for El Centro, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in El CentroTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in El Centro.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of El Centro, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro | 148 | $392K | $236 | 34% | 48 |
| Imperial | 131 | $452K | $255 | 56% | 33 |
| Brawley | 105 | $388K | $245 | 30% | 67 |
| Calexico | 91 | $376K | $251 | 33% | 62 |
| Holtville | 22 | $334K | $261 | 50% | 41 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to El Centro, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to El Centro. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing El Centro with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in El Centro
What do homes sell for in El Centro, CA?
148 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $392K, $236 a square foot. Houses sold for about $422K, condos for about $223K.
Is El Centro a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 39 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 7 sold, about 5.6 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.9% of asking on average, and 19% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in El Centro?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in El Centro?
About 0.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $392K home that’s near $3,120.
Where can I see homes for sale in El Centro?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry El Centro’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to El Centro.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).