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Imperial County, CA housing market

Data through September 2026 · updated 2026-11-07 · free, from Zillow, Realtor.com, the Census Bureau and other public sources

Typical home value$382,001+4.7% YoY · prices are rising fast
Market right nowBalanced marketMore homes for sale than last year, 14% have cut their price
Income needed to buy, per year$82,810About 1.4× the local median income ($60,477): a stretch for a typical household
Days on market72 daysSlower than a year ago: buyers have time to negotiate
Next 12 months+3.6%Zillow expects prices to rise slightly

The typical home in Imperial County, CA is worth $382,001, up 4.7% from a year ago. That is well above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $311,560, so the area is 22.6% overvalued. It is a balanced market: homes take about 72 days to sell, listings are up 13% from a year ago, 14% of listings have had a price cut. Zillow expects prices to rise about 3.6% over the next year. A household needs about $82,810 a year to afford the typical home here at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $60,477. Typical rent is $1,803 a month. In the latest IRS figures, 984 more people moved out than in.

Home value over time

$0K$100K$200K$300K19801990200020102020
Solid: typical home value · dashed: fair value (household income × the 20-year average price-to-income ratio). Sources: FHFA, Zillow, U.S. Census Bureau.

Prices and affordability

Typical home value$382,001
Change in 1 year+4.7%
Overvalued %+22.6%
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Fair home value$311,560
Change in 5 years+31.7%
Zillow forecast, next 12 months+3.6%
Home value to income6.3×
Monthly mortgage payment (20% down)$2,070
Income needed to afford it$82,810
Property tax rate0.77%

Rent and investing

Typical rent$1,803
Price-to-rent ratio17.7×
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedrooms$1,347
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Gross rental yield5.66%
Cap rate (estimate)3.68%

Market activity

Listings vs a year ago+12.8%
Days on market72
Listings with a price cut14.5%
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Homes for sale194
Pending sales per 100 listings36
Asking price per sq ft$251

People and jobs

Median household income$60,477
Population change (1 year)−0.7%
Unemployment rate12.5%
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Population181,411
Income adjusted for cost of living$63,526
Net moves in (IRS)−984
Cost of living (US = 100)95.2

Schools, risk and environment

School rating (1 to 10)4.1
FEMA hazard risk score (0 to 100)96.5
Unhealthy air days a year44
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Flood risk score94.1
Wildfire risk score76.0
Walkability (1 to 20)8.1
Road, rail and air noise55 dB

Questions people ask

Is Imperial County, CA overvalued?
Home prices in Imperial County, CA are well above what local incomes have historically supported: fair value is about $311,560, so the area is 22.6% overvalued.
Is Imperial County, CA a buyer's or seller's market?
Imperial County, CA is a balanced market: homes take about 72 days to sell, listings are up 13% from a year ago, 14% of listings have had a price cut.
Are home prices going down in Imperial County, CA?
Home values in Imperial County, CA are up 4.7% over the last year. Zillow's forecast for the next 12 months is +3.6%.
How much do you need to earn to buy a home in Imperial County, CA?
A household needs about $82,810 a year to afford the typical home in Imperial County, CA at today's 7.18% mortgage rate (20% down, payment at 30% of income); the median household earns $60,477.

Nearby and similar counties

ZIP codes in Imperial County (open on the map)

See every chart for Imperial County, CA on the map