Cost of living in Imperial research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Imperial is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Imperial is 106, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Imperial is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Imperial ranks as the #78 cheapest in California out of 635.
Imperial ranks as the #3,772 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Imperial is $261,700.
The median income in Imperial is $81,657.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Imperial has an overall cost of living index of 106, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Imperial has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 139.
The standard of living in Imperial ranks as #78 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Imperial ranks as the #557 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Imperial, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Imperial. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Imperial is 100.
The Groceries index in Imperial is 100.
The Health index in Imperial is 110.
The Housing index in Imperial is 113.
The Transportation index in Imperial is 104.
The Utilities index in Imperial is 117.
Living Expense | Imperial | California | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 106 | 139 | 100 | |
Services | 100 | 110 | 100 | |
Groceries | 100 | 112 | 100 | |
Health | 110 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing | 113 | 204 | 100 | |
Transportation | 104 | 126 | 100 | |
Utilities | 117 | 124 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Imperial is $261,700.
The Median Rent in Imperial is $1,173.
The Median Income in Imperial is $81,657.
The Home Value To Income in Imperial is 3.2x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Imperial is 0.17x.
Statistic | Imperial | California | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $261,700 | $573,200 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,173 | $1,698 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $81,657 | $84,097 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.2x | 6.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.24x | 0.2x |
Item | Imperial | California |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.13 | $1.06 |
Movie | $8.81 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $10.4 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $13.11 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $30.57 | $39.05 |
Item | Imperial | California |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.82 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.48 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.81 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $2.44 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $12.49 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.59 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $1.93 | $2.34 |
Item | Imperial | California |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $107.89 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $121.47 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $114.18 | $99.13 |
Item | Imperial | California |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.37 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $46.33 | $50.07 |
Item | Imperial | California |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $218.48 | $167.67 |
Phone | $178.35 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Imperial. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
El Centro, CA has a cost of living index of 97, 0.9x Imperial.
Calexico, CA has a cost of living index of 99, 0.9x Imperial.
Brawley, CA has a cost of living index of 97, 0.9x Imperial.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Imperial |
---|---|---|---|
El Centro, CA | 44,322 | 97 | 0.9x |
Calexico, CA | 38,798 | 99 | 0.9x |
Brawley, CA | 26,431 | 97 | 0.9x |
Heber, CA | 8,346 | 99 | 0.9x |
Calipatria, CA | 7,247 | 90 | 0.8x |
Holtville, CA | 5,672 | 97 | 0.9x |