Population 47,150 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in El Centro
Household size in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.13 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.37 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.79 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.37 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.25 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
El Centro is a place of big households: 3.37 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 3.13 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.2 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.2 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.8 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.2 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.0 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
El Centro is young: half of its residents are under 33.2, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in El Centro (16.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.7 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. El Centro has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of California cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in El Centro
Renters in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.5% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 48.5% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 46.8% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 49.9% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in El Centro than nationally: 49.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. About four in ten owners (41.0%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the southeast. The renter share is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in El Centro than nationally: 13.2%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in El Centro are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in California as a whole, where the median home dates to 1976.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $875 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $902 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,038 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,291 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$416 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in El Centro costs $1,291 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $416 a month since 2006–10, up 48%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 36.2% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in El Centro
Bachelor's degrees in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.7% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.4% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in El Centro: 16.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the east.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.6% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 68.3% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 69.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 73.3% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over a quarter of adults in El Centro never finished high school, well above the national share: only 73.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 4.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. El Centro has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five California cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in El Centro
| Period | El Centro | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.0% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in El Centro runs well above the national rate: 10.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.3 points, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
El Centro compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro | 3.37 | 33.2 | 16.4% | 49.9% | 13.2% | 1982 | $1,291 | 16.4% | 73.3% | 10.1% |
| Meloland | 3.72 | 32.3 | 22.2% | 28.2% | 10.4% | 2002 | $1,324 | 28.1% | 85.4% | 6.3% |
| Imperial | 3.76 | 30.4 | 16.5% | 28.3% | 12.1% | 1999 | $1,840 | 22.6% | 80.9% | 6.9% |
| Heber | 4.15 | 32.3 | 20.0% | 31.5% | 11.2% | 1996 | $1,370 | 23.6% | 80.5% | 8.5% |
| Mount Signal | 3.11 | 26.3 | 16.3% | 21.4% | 30.8% | 1973 | $1,604 | 30.1% | 74.8% | 0.0% |
| Calexico | 3.85 | 34.9 | 17.2% | 50.1% | 16.1% | 1989 | $1,269 | 19.1% | 63.8% | 19.3% |
| Seeley | 2.63 | 36.0 | 14.3% | 38.6% | 42.4% | 1996 | $1,268 | 4.8% | 67.8% | 23.3% |
| Holtville | 3.54 | 37.8 | 8.7% | 46.5% | 13.8% | 1979 | $972 | 19.5% | 77.0% | 7.3% |
| Date City | 3.53 | 47.5 | 1.6% | 46.1% | 8.9% | 1980 | $1,246 | 22.0% | 94.1% | 0.6% |
| Plaster City | 2.47 | 35.7 | 1.2% | 26.6% | 48.8% | 2000 | $1,337 | 3.1% | 60.5% | 27.8% |
| Ocotillo | 2.47 | 35.7 | 1.2% | 26.6% | 48.8% | 2000 | $1,337 | 3.1% | 60.5% | 27.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Zanesville, OH · Beavercreek, OH · Benton, AR · Brea, CA · Concord, NH · Middletown, NY · Prattville, AL · Owasso, OK · Newburgh, NY · Newark, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up El Centro. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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