Photo: JacobSA2019 · CC BY-SA 4.0131 homes sold in Imperial in the last year, at a typical $452K
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 Imperial homes are listed.
Every place Imperial 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 Imperial.
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.
Houses are 95% of Imperial’s sales, at a typical $456K
131 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 124 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $257CA $494
- Days to sell
- 34
- Sold over asking
- 56%
- Listings with a price cut
- 19%
Condos: 7 sold, typical $267K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.9 times the 2016 price
131 sales in the last year, against 304 in 2019 and a low of 147 in 2025. The typical sale went from $238K in 2016 to $452K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $450K buys in Imperial
Check a listing against what Imperial 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 Imperial are more common than before the pandemic, but 60% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Imperial’s home sales since 2014 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, 131 sales.
If you’re buying in Imperial
- Shop in April. It brings about 21 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (39% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 100.7% of the list price on average; 56% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 35% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 33 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 25 a month), and the most competition: 47% close over asking. April offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (39%). April has the least competition (39%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and hotter than California
| Imperial now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 56% | 37% | 67% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 35% | 1% | 3% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 19% | — | — | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 100.7% | 99.7% | 102.5% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 33 | 69 | 60 | 44 |
29 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.6 times the 2024 low (18), 60% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2014’s 82.
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 67%, condos 83%
A house typically sold for $456K in the last year (124 sales), a condo for $267K (7).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Imperial ranks 36th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Imperial is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2014 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Imperial home costs about $2,735 a month
Price: Imperial’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Imperial’s 1% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Imperial is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. November has the fewest, about 18.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $452K home, about $4,510 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Imperial, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in ImperialTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Imperial.
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.
El Centro and Brawley sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Imperial, 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 Imperial, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Imperial. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Imperial with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Imperial
What do homes sell for in Imperial, CA?
131 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $452K, $255 a square foot.
Is Imperial a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 27 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 5 sold, about 5.4 months of supply. Buyers paid 100.7% of asking on average, and 19% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Imperial?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Imperial?
About 1% of a home’s value a year. On a $452K home that’s near $4,510.
Where can I see homes for sale in Imperial?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Imperial’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Imperial.
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).