Should I Move To
El Centro, California is a population of 44,184 . Cost of living is affordable — 8% below the national average, with median rent around $938/month and median household income of $54,922. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 36/100 (grade F), ranking #878 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
El Centro's composite cost-of-living index sits at 92 (US average = 100), placing it in the affordable tier. At $938/month median rent against $54,922 median household income, residents spend about 20% of household income on rent — within the standard 30% rule of thumb. Median home value is $266,500.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →El Centro has a warm year-round climate — summer highs average 75°F and winter lows average 51°F, with 10 inches of precipitation annually. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car. Crime data isn't available for this city. Air quality is moderate (AQI 58).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
El Centro is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 44/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Especially strong on affordability (77/100), weakest on environmental quality (0/100).
El Centro is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 52/100 (grade C-) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on affordability (77/100), weakest on environmental quality (0/100).
El Centro is a less obvious fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 52/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on affordability (77/100), weakest on environmental quality (0/100).
El Centro is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 42/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on affordability (77/100), weakest on environmental quality (0/100).
El Centro, California has an overall UrbRank Score of 36/100 (grade F), ranked #878 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
El Centro's cost-of-living index is 92 (US average = 100), so it's affordable — 8% below the national average. Median rent is $938/month.
El Centro has a warm year-round climate. Summer highs average 75°F and winter lows average 51°F, with 10 inches of annual precipitation.
El Centro has a Walk Score of 57/100. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car.
El Centro has a population of 44,184, with 16% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 32.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put El Centro side-by-side with any other US city — housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality of life metrics displayed together. The leaderboard pages also show how El Centro ranks for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare El Centro with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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