HomeCaliforniaImperial County
Imperial County, California: commercial real estate data.
Imperial County, California has a population of 180,202 across 4,177 square miles, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $12.91 bn in 2024, 2,677 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 112 7(a) approvals worth $107.1 m.
128 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Imperial County
How many people live in Imperial County
- Population180,202
- Households49,644
- Average household size3.63
- Median household income$57,681
- Median age33.2
- Median gross rent$1,056 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$309,600
- Home value to household income5.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over111,419
- Population under 1851,054
- Share under 1828.3 percent
- Population 65 and over24,701
- Share 65 and over13.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64104,447
- Civilian labor force71,192
- Unemployment rate12.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.1 percent
- Rank by population among California counties31st of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents381st
Imperial County is the 31st largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 5.4 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 28.3 percent against 13.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Imperial County
Is Imperial County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.12 percent
- Census 2020 base population179,710
- Births, 20242,372
- Deaths, 20241,389
- Natural change, 2024983
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,196
- Net international migration, 20241,350
- Total net migration, 2024154
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-5,144
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1436th
The county has grown 1.12 percent since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Imperial County
Where people moving to Imperial County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,564
- People arriving, from those returns4,739
- Adjusted gross income arriving$104.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$40,926
- Largest single originImperial County Non-migrants (71,853 households)
- Largest single destination (71,853 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial County Non-migrants | 71,853 | 163,539 | $3.75 bn |
| San Diego County | 529 | 926 | $27.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 512 | 889 | $21.6 m |
| Riverside County | 456 | 946 | $16.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 209 | 353 | $8.0 m |
| Los Angeles County | 193 | 327 | $7.7 m |
| Yuma County | 191 | 359 | $5.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 184 | 330 | $7.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Imperial County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Imperial County
What the Imperial County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$12.91 bn
- County GDP, 2023$12.93 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.2 percent
- GDP change over five years40.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among California counties29th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents360th
- GDP per resident$71,628
Output grew -0.2 percent in the latest year and 40.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Imperial County
Who employs people in Imperial County
- Covered employment, annual average67,166
- Establishments reporting9,795
- Average annual pay$54,639
- Average weekly wage$1,051
- Sector 62, employment11,067
- Sector 62, average annual pay$34,025
- Sector 44-45, employment8,192
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,892
- Sector 72, employment4,228
- Sector 72, average annual pay$28,015
- Sector 31-33, employment2,197
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$64,041
- Sector 56, employment2,064
- Sector 48-49, employment1,967
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 11,067 | 6,881 | $34,025 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,192 | 444 | $35,892 |
| Sector 72 | 4,228 | 262 | $28,015 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,197 | 68 | $64,041 |
| Sector 56 | 2,064 | 138 | $49,646 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,967 | 255 | $58,577 |
| Sector 42 | 1,757 | 198 | $72,062 |
| Sector 23 | 1,719 | 193 | $66,705 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 11,067 jobs, 16.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Imperial County
What businesses operate in Imperial County
- Establishments, all industries2,677
- Employment at those establishments34,323
- Annual payroll$1.61 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Imperial County
What is being built in Imperial County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024253
- Declared construction value permitted$39.0 m
- Single family units authorised153
- Multifamily units authorised100
- Multifamily share of units39.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$154,269
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.1
Multifamily is 39.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Imperial County
How much SBA lending happens in Imperial County
- 7(a) approvals recorded112
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$107.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$955,871
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,107,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,437
- Jobs per approval12.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active38
- Distinct industries receiving approvals59
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer41.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms46
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter64
- Franchise loans19
- Franchise share of approvals17.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (7)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (15)
- 504 approvals recorded49
- 504 gross approval dollars$50.8 m
- Average 504 approval$1,037,551
- Median 504 approval$621,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval17.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.4
- Most active CDCCDC Small Business Finance Corp. (24)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals69.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$157.9 m
The average approval of $955,871 sits well above the median of $350,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 41.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Imperial County
Do SBA loans in Imperial County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded36
- Paid in full33
- Charged off3
- Charge off rate on resolved loans8.3 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure59
- Status: Cancelled11
- Status: Paid in full33
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 36 loans that have reached a final outcome, 8.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Imperial County
Which parts of Imperial County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- EL CENTRO, approvals44
- IMPERIAL, approvals22
- CALEXICO, approvals17
- BRAWLEY, approvals16
- Holtville, approvals4
- THERMAL, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| EL CENTRO | 44 | $42,371,200 |
| IMPERIAL | 22 | $22,384,800 |
| CALEXICO | 17 | $13,675,100 |
| BRAWLEY | 16 | $17,642,000 |
| Holtville | 4 | $3,670,000 |
| THERMAL | 3 | $6,008,000 |
| Winterhaven | 1 | $73,000 |
| HEBER | 1 | $50,000 |
EL CENTRO accounts for 44 approvals against 22 in IMPERIAL. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Imperial County
How big is Imperial County
- Land area4,177 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties10th of 58
- Width, east to west95.3 mi
- Height, north to south56.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land43
- Establishments per square mile0.64
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Imperial County
What hazards affect Imperial County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP8
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Imperial County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Imperial County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population180,202
- Households49,644
- Average household size3.63
- Median household income$57,681
- Median age33.2
Common questions
Imperial County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Imperial County, California?
180,202, in 49,644 households, ranking 31st of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Imperial County growing?
The population has grown 1.12 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,372 births against 1,389 deaths, with net migration of 154. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Imperial County?
$57,681. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $309,600, which is 5.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,056 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Imperial County?
2,677 establishments, employing 34,323 people with an annual payroll of $1.61 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Imperial County?
Average annual pay is $54,639, or $1,051 a week, across 67,166 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Imperial County?
112 7(a) approvals totalling $107.1 m since FY2020, across 38 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 49 504 approvals worth $50.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Imperial County get paid back?
Of the 36 loans that have reached a final outcome, 33 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge off rate of 8.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Imperial County?
253 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $39.0 m. Multifamily was 39.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Imperial County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Imperial County come from?
The largest single origin is Imperial County Non-migrants, with 71,853 households. Arriving households report an average income of $40,926 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Imperial County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Imperial County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.