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City · 21,430 residents · Imperial County, California

Imperial , California

In Imperial, a typical home is worth $360,900 and typical rent is $1,255 a month. Compared with all of Imperial County, typical household income is 56% higher, typical rent is 19% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 13 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $360,900

    17% above the county

    51% below California

    • Imperial
    • County
    • California

  • Typical rent

    $1,255a month

    19% above the county

    38% below California

    • Imperial
    • County
    • California

  • Typical household income

    $90,195a year

    56% above the county

    9% below California

    • Imperial
    • County
    • California

  • Households that own their home

    69%

    13 points above the county

    14 points above California

    • Imperial
    • County
    • California

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$444,401
4.5% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent
$2,138 a month

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Imperial is in Imperial County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Imperial County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Imperial apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. The typical household income in Imperial is $90,195, 56% more than in Imperial County as a whole ($57,681).

  2. Nearby, in Holtville, the typical rent is $861: 31% less than in Imperial ($1,255).

  3. According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Imperial rose 4.5%; in California, it rose 0.6%.

  4. Nearby, in Brawley, the typical home value is $290,700: 19% less than in Imperial ($360,900).

  5. 69% of households in Imperial own their home, against 57% in Imperial County.

  6. The typical rent in Imperial is $1,255 a month, 19% more than in Imperial County as a whole ($1,056).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024); Zillow (September 2026 data). Zillow data

The homes here

Housing in Imperial

What homes there are in Imperial, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

The detached house rules in Imperial: 77% of homes, more than in Imperial County (62%).

Year built

The typical home in Imperial was built in 2002, 14 years after the typical one in Imperial County.

Homes in Imperial are bigger: 73% have 3 bedrooms or more; in Imperial County, 60%.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,034 a month

Imperial County: $1,774 a month

Without a mortgage

$614 a month

Imperial County: $554 a month

Owners with a mortgage

75%

Imperial County: 59%

Owning costs more in Imperial: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $2,034 a month; in Imperial County, $1,774. Without one, $614.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Homes in Imperial gained value more slowly than in Imperial County: 50% since 2015–2019, against 58%.

The typical rent in Imperial stayed about the same over that time: the difference is within the Census margin of error.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureImperialImperial CountyCaliforniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate3.3%4.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate9.9%8.2%3.4%
People per household 3.583.492.842.53
Drive alone 79%79%66%69%
Carpool 11%9%10%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%3%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate7%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

By size, households in Imperial look like those in Imperial County: 3.58 people on average.

In Imperial, 79% of workers drive alone to work; in Imperial County, 79%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Imperial?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Imperial, worth $360,900, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 40% of the typical household income in Imperial, which is $90,195 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $129,057 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Imperial County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Imperial. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $12,632 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$3,011

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$354,363
Total interest
$509,845
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $6,095 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $2,105 a month

  • Tight

    $2,105 to $2,706 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,706 a month

    Your payment · 40%

Compared with the typical household income in Imperial ($90,195 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,011
Principal & interest$2,401
Property tax$301
Home insurance$150
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$160

You need at least $12,632 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Imperial and Imperial County

Imperial is in Imperial County, California. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Imperial's own numbers

Typical home value
$360,900
Typical monthly rent
$1,255
Typical yearly household income
$90,195
Households that own their home
69%
Effective property tax rate
1%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Imperial County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,347
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+60%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.4%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Imperial County.

Everything about Imperial County

Buying

Buying a home in Imperial

A typical home in Imperial is worth $360,900: 17% above the county and 51% below California. With the typical household income in Imperial ($90,195 a year), a typical home costs 4.0 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Imperial 4.0 years
  • County 5.4 years
  • California 7.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Imperial County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Imperial County rose 109% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Imperial County.

Period County California U.S.
Last year (2025) +7.3% +0.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +60% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +109% +80% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Imperial next to Imperial County, California and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Imperial $360,900
  • County $309,600
  • California $734,700
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Imperial $1,255
  • County $1,056
  • California $2,036
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Imperial $90,195
  • County $57,681
  • California $99,122
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Imperial next to Imperial County and California
Measure Imperial Imperial County California U.S.
Typical home value $360,900 $309,600 $734,700 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,255 $1,056 $2,036 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $90,195 $57,681 $99,122 $80,734
Households that own their home 69% 57% 56% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $3,605 $2,394 $5,124 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1% 0.77% 0.7% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 44% 53% 55% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Imperial County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Imperial

For a typical $360,900 home in Imperial, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Imperial's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,011a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $12,632
    Cash to close
    $23,459
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $160

  • Conventional, 5% down $2,945a month

    Down payment
    $18,045
    Cash to close
    $28,872
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $171

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,407a month

    Down payment
    $72,180
    Cash to close
    $83,007
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $2,741a month

    Down payment
    $54,135
    Cash to close
    $64,962
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Imperial and for Imperial County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Imperial

1%of the home’s value each year

$3,605 a year for the typical owner in Imperial.

  • Imperial 1%
  • County 0.77%
  • California 0.7%

What California publishes Homeowners' exemption (California State Board of Equalization (BOE))

Exemptions and deadlines in California

Flood risk in Imperial County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Imperial County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.4%
601
Of those, with NFIP insurance
4.2%
County California U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.4% 2.8% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 4.2% 31% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Imperial

Typical rent in Imperial is $1,255 a month: 19% above the county. In Imperial, 44% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Imperial County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,347 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $25.90 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Imperial County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $938 $18.04 $37,520
1 bedroom $1,030 $19.81 $41,200
2 bedrooms $1,347 $25.90 $53,880
3 bedrooms $1,819 $34.98 $72,760
4 bedrooms $2,251 $43.29 $90,040

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Imperial

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Imperial is in ZIP code 92251.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,760: $413 more than the fair market rent for Imperial County ($1,347).

  • 92251 $1,760$2,380

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Imperial when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Imperial

HUD lists 4 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Imperial. These are the largest.

  • Imperial Gardens Apts 2375 Myrtle Rd, Imperial 92251 80 low-income homes · 1 bd: 64 · 2 bd: 16 · 3 bd: 1 · In service since 2004 · For older adults
  • Villa Lara Apts 2372 Myrtle Rd, Imperial 92251 80 homes, 79 low-income · 1 bd: 16 · 2 bd: 25 · 3 bd: 39 · In service since 2002 · For families
  • Las Palmeras 470 W Wall Rd, Imperial 92251 56 homes, 55 low-income · 1 bd: 12 · 2 bd: 24 · 3 bd: 20 · In service since 2015 · For families
  • Imperial Senior 307 N Imperial Ave, Imperial 92251 69 homes, 54 low-income · For older adults (949) 340-0437

See all 66 buildings in Imperial County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Imperial

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Imperial County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Imperial

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Imperial or Imperial County. The ones below are statewide in California: they work in Imperial the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in California

  • MyHome Assistance Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers in California. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan

    Statewide in California

    Closed, per the source

    CalHFA down payment loan for first-generation buyers in California; when you sell, you repay the loan plus a share of the home's appreciation. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Shared appreciation

    See the program Official page

  • MyAccess Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers who use the CalPLUS Access mortgage (FHA or conventional). Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Imperial

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Imperial, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Coachella Valley Housing Coalition

    45701 Monroe St Ste G, Indio · 72 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (760) 347-3157

  • Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc.- Palm Springs

    190 W Amado Rd, Palm Springs · 88 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Fair housing pre-purchase workshops
    • and 4 more
    (760) 864-1541

  • Urban League of San Diego County

    4305 University Ave Ste 360, San Diego · 89 miles away · Spanish

    Also serves in other languages.

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and credit workshops
    • and 5 more
    (619) 266-6237

All counseling agencies in California

Help in Spanish near Imperial

3 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Imperial

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Imperial County is named for Imperial or Imperial County.

2 other authorities have an office in Imperial County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Imperial County

These cities are also in Imperial County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Imperial County Housing in California

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Imperial, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Imperial County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Imperial.

All guides
A father holds his baby and his young son by a white picket fence.

Questions

Housing questions about Imperial

Short answers with the numbers for Imperial and all of Imperial County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Imperial?

The typical home value in Imperial is $360,900, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Imperial County it is $309,600.

How much does it cost to rent in Imperial?

Typical rent in Imperial is $1,255 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Imperial County is $1,347.

What is the FHA loan limit in Imperial?

Imperial uses the FHA limit for all of Imperial County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Imperial?

The typical homeowner in Imperial pays $3,605 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1% of the home’s value; in Imperial County, the rate is 0.77%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Imperial?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Imperial County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).