How many people live in Imperial County, CA?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 181,700 people living in Imperial County, CA. That makes Imperial County the 30th-most populous county in California. It is home to 0.46% of people living in the state.
182K
population of Imperial County, CA (2024)
0.46%
County share of the California population (2024)
About 181,700 people lived in Imperial County, CA in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Imperial County, CA’s age demographics?
About 25,800 Imperial County, CA residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 14.2% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 16.6% of California’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 50,700 Imperial County residents, or 27.9% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 21.4% of California’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Imperial County, CA's population is aged under 18 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Imperial County, CA’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 86.6% of the Imperial County, CA population, higher than the national share of 20%.
In contrast, Imperial County’s non-Hispanic white population accounts for 8.6%, below the 57.5% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 2.2% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Imperial County, CA has a higher share of a Hispanic population than California as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Imperial County, CA is El Centro with about 44,200 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Imperial County, CA ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | El Centro | 44,230 |
| 2. | Calexico | 38,744 |
| 3. | Brawley | 28,188 |
| 4. | Imperial | 22,102 |
| 5. | Calipatria | 6,522 |
| 6. | Holtville | 5,612 |
| 7. | Westmorland | 2,045 |
| 8. | Balance of Imperial County | 34,281 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
