Imperial County, California
Located in California, Imperial County has a population of 180,202 residents and a median age of 33.2 years, making it the #381 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.5%. The median home value is $309,600, and the median household income is $57,681, which is 23% below the national median.
Demographics
Imperial County has a population of 180,202, making it the #381 most populous county in the US. The median age is 33.2 years, which is 14.7% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Imperial County is $57,681, ranking #2,289 out of 3,222 counties — 23.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.5% and unemployment stands at 12.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Imperial County is $309,600 (+9.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,056/mo and the homeownership rate is 56.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Imperial County, 16.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 52.3% below the national average, ranking #2,656 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Imperial County is 76.2 years. 29.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
14.0% of adults in Imperial County smoke , 38.5% are obese , and 19.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 21.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Imperial County is 5.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 5.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.1% of children in Imperial County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 21.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Imperial County is 54.9%. The mean commute time is 23.8 min, which is 13.7% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Imperial County voted Republican with a margin of 0.8%. The vote was 48.3% Dem / 49.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 25.1 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Imperial County, California
Imperial County, California has a total population of 180,202, making it the 381st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Imperial County is 33.2 years, which is 14.7% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Imperial County is $57,681, which ranks #2,289 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 23.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 12.5%.
The median home value in Imperial County is $309,600, 9.8% above the national median. Renters in Imperial County pay a median gross rent of $1,056 per month. The homeownership rate is 56.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Imperial County, 16.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 52.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.8 min.
Imperial County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 86.0% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (9.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (2.0%).
All data for Imperial County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.