El Centro, CA
Census place 0621782 · pop 44,240
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
18.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
21.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
63 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
50 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
35.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
14.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
21.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
49.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$53,082 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
98/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
347 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$323,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1380 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
35.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
12.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.79% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Not measured for El Centro: Rent. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is El Centro, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, El Centro scores 27/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 21 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is broadband access and its weakest is unemployment rate. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is El Centro, CA?
- El Centro reports 347 violent crimes per 100k and 1380 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is El Centro, CA expensive to live in?
- El Centro has a median home value of $323,100 — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in El Centro, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is unemployment rate (18.4%) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is El Centro, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is broadband access (93.5%) — 66/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: The largest U.S. city that lies entirely below sea level.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.