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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Imperial, CA Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q2 2024. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Imperial, CA Housing Market Trends

With a population of 21,233, 5,146 total housing units (homes and apartments), and a median house value of $474,368, Imperial real estate prices are well above average cost compared to national prices.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Imperial, accounting for 74.96% of the city's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Imperial include large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 14.87%), duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 5.10%), and a few mobile homes or trailers ( 3.48%).

Owner-occupied, three and four bedroom dwellings, primarily in single-family detached homes are the most prevalent type of housing you will see in Imperial. Owner-occupied housing accounts for 65.70% of Imperial's homes, and 71.85% have either three or four bedrooms, which is average sized relative to America.

Imperial homes and real estate are some of the newest in America. 49.52% of Imperial's housing was built since 2000, making the city have a very new look and feel. If you like the amenities of newer homes and subdivisions, then you will probably like what the Imperial real estate market has to offer. Quite a bit of the housing here was also built between 1970-1999 ( 32.66%), and between 1940-1969 ( 15.70%). There's also some housing in Imperial built before 1939 ( 2.13%).

Vacant housing appears to be an issue in Imperial. Fully 18.25% of the housing stock is classified as vacant. Left unchecked, vacant Imperial homes and apartments can be a drag on the real estate market, holding Imperial real estate prices below levels they could achieve if vacant housing was absorbed into the market and became occupied. Housing vacancy rates are a useful measure to consider, along with other things, if you are a home buyer or a real estate investor.

Imperial Home Appreciation Rates

Appreciation rates for homes in Imperial have been tracking above average for the last ten years, according to NeighborhoodScout data. The cumulative appreciation rate over the ten years has been 107.16%, which ranks in the top 30% nationwide. This equates to an annual average Imperial house appreciation rate of 7.56%.

NeighborhoodScout's data show that during the latest twelve months, Imperial's appreciation rate, at 7.46%, has been at or slightly above the national average. In the latest quarter, Imperial's appreciation rate has been 5.41%, which annualizes to a rate of 23.46%.

Importantly, this makes Imperial one of the highest appreciating communities in the nation for the latest quarter, and may signal the city's near-future real estate investment strength.

Relative to California, our data show that Imperial's latest annual appreciation rate is higher than 60% of the other cities and towns in California.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$474,368

Imperial, CA Home Prices
> $1,364,000
$1,023,001 - $1,364,000
$682,001 - $1,023,000
$546,001 - $682,000
$409,001 - $546,000
$272,001 - $409,000
$136,001 - $272,000
$68,001 - $136,000
$0 - $68,000
1.1%
1.1%
0.7%
0.7%
9.0%
9.0%
9.6%
9.6%
37.8%
37.8%
37.7%
37.7%
3.4%
3.4%
0.0%
0.0%
0.8%
0.8%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
Low

for California

High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

5,146

Imperial Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$2,893 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
65.7%
65.7%
34.3%
34.3%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
18.3%
18.3%
81.7%
81.7%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
49.5%
49.5%
32.7%
32.7%
15.7%
15.7%
2.1%
2.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
75.0%
75.0%
1.6%
1.6%
5.1%
5.1%
14.9%
14.9%
3.5%
3.5%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
4.6%
4.6%
6.2%
6.2%
13.2%
13.2%
44.1%
44.1%
27.7%
27.7%
4.1%
4.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Popular Neighborhoods in Imperial

Zip Codes in Imperial, CA