El Centro, CA

This city of 44,816 residents needs 1,299 more housing units over the next five years. El Centro is a CDBG-entitlement community, see how the ROAD to Housing Act could change that funding. El Centro is part of the Southern California Association of Governments.

Housing snapshot

Population
44,816 (2026)
Households
12,837
Median household income
$59,454 (2026)
Typical home value
$392,988
Owner-occupied
44%
Five-year housing need
1,299 units

Comparison to other California municipalities

El Centro: $59,454 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$27K >$231K
El Centro: 1.58 jobs to household ratio
<0.15 >2.52
El Centro: Permits since 2021 represent 1.7% of housing
<0% >10.5%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

At $392,988, homes in El Centro, CA cost well below the California average of $713,253. At a median household income of $59,454 in El Centro, CA, affordability is stretched, with households needing roughly $36,695 more to comfortably afford the typical home.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

El Centro, CA has a population of roughly 44,240 that has been largely stable in recent years.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

El Centro, CA has roughly 12,837 households and a population that has been largely stable in recent years.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

In El Centro, CA, detached single-family accounts for 54% of the housing stock. In El Centro, CA, renters make up the majority, with only 44% of units owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, El Centro, CA needs 1,299 new units over the next 5 years.

1,299
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
61
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 0.8 per 1,000 units.
72
Ownership vacancy adjustment
Owner-occupied vacancy is 0.4%. This is below the minimum stable target of 1.5%.
169
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 5.1%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
968
Overcrowding adjustment
Overcrowding rate is 10.9%. This is above National avg. of 3.4%.
29
Substandard housing adjustment
Substandard housing rate is 1.21%. This is above National avg. of 0.98%.
1,299
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
260
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
8.9%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
1.8%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

Build Now Act: how could CDBG funding change?

The Build Now Act (Section 213 of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act) ties a CDBG entitlement community's grant to how much housing it is building. This is a CommunityScale estimate from public ACS data, not HUD's official determination — HUD calculates from Census Master Address File block counts.

How does this place compare to similar communities?