Cost of living in El Centro, California
Simple answer
Typical rent is $1,052 a month.
El Centro is a city in California. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $53,082 a year.
- People
- 44,240
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $1,052
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $53,082
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $323,100
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $1,347
- El Centro, CA MSA
El Centro, California has about 44,240 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $323,100.
HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Imperial County is $1,347 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in El Centro. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.
In the El Centro, CA metro area, prices sit at 95.2 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.
California taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 9.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not El Centro's exact store tax.
In July 2026, a typical California home paid 33.61¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not El Centro's bill.
In 2025, all-grades gas in California averaged $4.53 a gallon. EIA prints this yearly price for only some states.
Among 982 places we list in California with a rent figure, 919 have higher typical rent than El Centro.
Nearby places
- Imperial
Typical rent $1,255
Compare with El Centro - Heber
Typical rent $1,086
Compare with El Centro - Seeley
Typical rent $1,100
Compare with El Centro - Calexico
Typical rent $1,093
Compare with El Centro - Holtville
Typical rent $861
Compare with El Centro - Brawley
Typical rent $988
Compare with El Centro - Westmorland
Typical rent $793
Compare with El Centro - Calipatria
Typical rent $919
Compare with El Centro
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in California
Bigger places in California
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.