Is Imperial Beach, CA a Good Place to Live?
Imperial Beach is a small city of 26,157 in California, with a median household income of $75,731 and a 7.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 112 (US average = 100), which is 12% above the national average.
Strengths: Imperial Beach stands out for lower-than-average crime.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Imperial Beach is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Imperial Beach city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 111.5Imperial Beach's overall cost of living index is 111.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Imperial Beach costs roughly 12% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Imperial Beach, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $744,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,841 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 31.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $75,731 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageImperial Beach's violent crime rate is 538.7 per 100,000 residents — 42% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Imperial Beach is served primarily by South Bay Union. The student-to-teacher ratio is 24.9:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Imperial Beach, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | South Bay Union | — |
| Elementary Schools | 11 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 24.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 22.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 85.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Imperial Beach sees average highs of 67.1°F in January and 73.2°F in July, with 8.6 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Imperial Beach, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 67.1°F |
| Average High — July | 73.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 8.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Imperial Beach, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,157 | — |
| Median Age | 33.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 54.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 27.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 7.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 11.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Imperial Beach
Imperial Beach, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: