Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★2.0 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Imperial Beach, CA
Explore Imperial Beach and see how it fits the life you want to build.
Overall Match6.1 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Imperial Beach at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population25,764
Median Household Income$86,111
Median Home Value$857,000
Median Gross Rent$2,011
Median Age35.1
Average Household Size2.7
Unemployment7.1%
Work From Home10.9%
Homeownership31.3%
Housing Vacancy9.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Imperial Beach is a mid-sized community where local neighborhoods, nearby job centers and regional access can matter as much as citywide averages. Housing costs are high relative to local household income, making affordability one of the more important factors to examine before relocating here. Unemployment is elevated enough that job location and industry-specific opportunities deserve closer review.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Imperial Beach Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Imperial Beach →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Imperial Beach and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Imperial Beach
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$857,000
Median Gross Rent$2,011
Homeownership31.3%
Housing Vacancy9.3%
Home values are relatively high compared with local household income, so purchase affordability deserves close attention. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Imperial Beach, CA
Median Household Income$86,111
Unemployment7.1%
Work From Home10.9%
The reported unemployment rate is elevated enough to warrant a closer look at current local employment conditions. A meaningful share of employed residents work from home.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Imperial Beach and how households are structured
Population25,764
Median Age35.1
Average Household Size2.7
Imperial Beach is a smaller community, so its relationship with nearby towns, employment centers and services can be especially important.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Imperial Beach
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Imperial Beach point to mild summers, mild winters, a relatively dry annual rainfall pattern and little to no annual snowfall.
Average Summer High73.2°F
Average Winter Low47.4°F
Annual Rainfall8.6 in.
Annual Snowfall0.0 in.
Seasonal Life in Imperial Beach
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring should generally favor outdoor activity, although a relatively dry annual pattern makes water use, landscaping and local drought conditions worth noticing.
Summer
Summer highs are comparatively mild, which may reduce cooling demands and can make daytime outdoor activity more comfortable than in hotter inland locations.
Fall
Fall can be one of the best seasons for comparing neighborhoods because daily routines are active while temperatures transition away from summer conditions.
Winter
Winter lows are relatively mild and measurable snowfall is minimal, so winter living is more likely to revolve around cool or wet conditions than snow removal and prolonged freezes.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
Imperial Beach is located in San Diego County, but city-level housing, income and neighborhood conditions can differ meaningfully from countywide averages. San Diego County.
County Intelligence
Imperial Beach & San Diego County
Data Pending
Foreclosure Activity
Imperial Beach is located in San Diego County, California.
NarrowTheList uses county-level information alongside local community data because many factors that matter when choosing a place to live are measured beyond city boundaries. Housing, property taxes, employment, healthcare access and other regional characteristics can add useful context to the picture of life in Imperial Beach.
Current NarrowTheList data for Imperial Beach shows a population of about 25,764. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Data Pending. A county-specific foreclosure signal is not available yet.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
San Diego County
How NarrowTheList uses it
County information is used as a supporting geographic layer, not as a substitute for local data. As more county datasets are added, NarrowTheList can use them to improve comparisons, ratings and relocation insights for Imperial Beach.
For someone considering a move to Imperial Beach, the available data currently points to housing affordability that deserves careful budgeting and employment conditions that make job-specific research important. These signals are most useful when considered alongside the specific neighborhood, commute and housing type that fit the household making the move.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.