Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Imperial grades C+ overall, 286th among California's 841 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 88% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $444K, 7.7 years of the El Centro metro’s $58K median household income. Imperial’s July high is 108°F, above both California’s towns (89°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Imperial's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 95% of U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 437 California towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Imperial.
Where Imperial beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
14,758 counted in 2010 and 20,263 in 2020; an estimated 22,330 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 9.7% since 2020, after 37.3% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Imperial is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,257 in 1910, 20,263 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Imperial, 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 Imperial.
Imperial has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, fares better on crime within California than nationally and has home values climbing faster than California’s.
At 6.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 100% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 94 to 40 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Imperial’s violent crime rate is 1 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Imperial Unified school district. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Imperial High, with 1,439 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank M. Wright MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,116 | B− |
| Imperial HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,439 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 87% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Home values rose 43% in five years, to about $444K, against 13% across California.
The median rent in Imperial is $1,255 a month. Typical home values rose 4.5% in the year to September 2026.
| Imperial | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,255 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The average commute for its 8,843 working residents takes 18.6 minutes, against 28.7 across California. Jobs based here grew from 3,086 in 2013 to 4,486.
Most working residents leave Imperial for work: only 12% work in town. Since 2013, Imperial has added 1,400 jobs, to 4,486 in 2023. 7.5% of workers work from home in Imperial.
| Imperial | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The El Centro 2 Ssw weather station, 5 miles away, records that about 180 days a year reach 90°, more than in 100% of U.S. towns. January nights average 43.3°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 107.7°.
Imperial has warm winters and scorching summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.7 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.
| Imperial | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunset Park | — | 5 |
| 2. Savannah Ranch Park | — | 3 |
| 3. Emerson Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Imperial beats the California average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 68% of Imperial adults had a checkup this year.
| Imperial | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 16% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Imperial | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.4% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 17.4% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Imperial
About 9 of every 100 Imperial residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Where Imperial’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Imperial.
City in California, United States
Imperial is a city in Imperial County, California, 4 miles (6.4 km) north of El Centro. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 20,263. It is part of the El Centro metropolitan area. In 2016, Imperial was the fourth fastest-growing city in the state, gaining 4.1 percent more residents from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2016. It compares to Imperial County's growth of 1.3 percent and Brawley's growth of 1.2 percent.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Imperial.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Imperial grades C+ overall, better than 39% of U.S. towns and #286 of 841 in California. It grades B− for health, A for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
4 notable people were born here, including Andy Ruiz Jr. and Royce Freeman.
