Imperial County

Department of Social Services

Imperial County Profile

Imperial County was formed in 1907 from the eastern portion of San Diego County and is located in the south eastern corner of California. It is the last of California’s 58 counties to be established and is the ninth largest California county encompassing 4,284 square miles. Three-fourths of Imperial County consists of mountain ranges and desert sand. It is bordered by

Riverside County to the north, Yuma, Arizona to the east, San Diego County to the west and Mexico to the south. Directly across the international border from Calexico, CA, lies the city of Mexicali, the capital of Baja California Mexico, with a population estimated to be over one million residents.

Imperial County is a desert community with a  warm, dry climate. Summers are extremely hot and dry while winters are temperate. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 55-90 degrees with annual rainfall of less than three inches. The county relies on a sophisticated irrigation system for its water supply from the Colorado River.

El Centro, the county seat and largest city, has a 2004 estimate of 38,350 residents. The total population estimate for Imperial County in 2004 was 152,448 and the number is rapidly growing. In the last three decades of the 1900s, the population grew by 91.1%. The growth since 1990 has been 39.5% compared to 13% for the state.

Per the 2000 census, the ethnic demography of the county is 72% Hispanic, 20% White, 4% African American, 2% Asian/Pacific Islander, 1% American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 1% other race/two or more races. The Latino population is growing faster than the rest of the population accounting for 83% of the increase between the years of 1990-1996.

The median annual income for a household in the county is $31,870. 22.6% of the population and 19.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 28.7% of those under the age of 18 and 14.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The annual average unemployment rate for Imperial County was 17.1% in 2004 compared to California's rate of 6.2%. Due to the significant seasonal agricultural economy, greater variations in employment occur, resulting in the county’s consistently high unemployment rates.

Imperial County’s economy consists predominantly of government, agriculture and retail trade that represents 70% of total county employment. Government services account for over one-third of total employment. Agriculture accounts for one-fourth of jobs with major crops of alfalfa, lettuce, sugar beets and carrots. Retail growth has been experienced due to increased population in the Imperial and Mexicali Valleys. In 2005, the Imperial Valley Mall opened attracting shoppers from surrounding areas, including cross border consumers from Mexicali, Mexico, greatly contributing to the county’s retail sales.

The Imperial Valley offers many out-door recreational opportunities. One of the largest attractions is the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area that is a playground for thousands of off-road enthusiasts. The Salton Sea Recreation Area features the Salton Sea which is 35 miles long and is from 9-15 miles wide. The area has 1,400 campsites for activities that include boating, water skiing and sail-boating. The area is a habitat for over 400 species of birds making bird-watching popular. The Navy’s Blue Angels make Imperial Valley their winter home and their famous air show is an anticipated event. The Brawley Cattle Call Rodeo and California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta are annual celebrations.