El Cajon and Imperial Beach receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
El Cajon
Imperial Beach
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 18%
vs47 · Bottom 30%
Growth
49 · Bottom 48%
vs40 · Bottom 32%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
22 · Bottom 1%
vs32 · Bottom 2%
Access
59 · Bottom 6%
vs43 · Bottom 2%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 26%
vs55 · Bottom 40%
Measured values
| Metric | El Cajon | Imperial Beach | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 104,449 | 25,764 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,511 | $86,111 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,254 | $42,196 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,198/sq mi | 6,006/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $681,700 | $857,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,856 | $2,011 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.5% | 31.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 26.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.5% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 249 | 61 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 2.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 58.6% | -31.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 73°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 46°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.0" | 8.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 73 mi | 92 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.8 min | 29.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 35.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.78 | 23.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 70.3% | 71.5% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
El Cajon
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Imperial Beach
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
El Cajon
47
Your Score
43
Area Score
Imperial Beach
47
Your Score
44
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: El Cajon, CA · Imperial Beach, CA · How this is calculated: methodology