All Countries
Desert Center, CA
Full City Profile · California · Imperial County County
2.9
/5.0
C+
Fair
167
Population
5/sq mi density
$72,857
Median Income
$25,685 per capita
$221,200
Home Value
$258,145 Zillow
$1,192
Median Rent
22.1% income on rent
74°F
Avg Temperature
330 sunny days/yr
353
Violent Crime/100K
177 property/100K
C+
Overall
2.9 / 5.0
Fair overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
B
Economy
3.4 / 5.0
$72,857 median income, 5.9% unemployment
A+
Affordability
5.0 / 5.0
$221,200 home value, $1,192/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
353 violent crimes/100K
C
Education
2.2 / 5.0
15.0% bachelor's degree or higher
Change Over Time (2013–2023)
Population Change
-2.9%
172 → 167
over 10 years
Annual Pop. Growth
-0.29%
Compound annual growth rate
Median Income Change
+169.5%
$27,031 → $72,857
nominal, not inflation-adjusted
Annual Income Growth
+10.42%
Compound annual growth rate
Population Over Time
Total population for Desert Center across each available Census ACS release.
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income reported by U.S. Census ACS. Values are nominal (not adjusted for inflation).
Projected 2030
Simple projections extrapolating the 2013–2023 compound annual growth rate forward. These are mathematical extensions of recent trends, not forecasts — real outcomes depend on migration, policy and economic shifts.
Projected Population 2030
164
-3 from 2023 (167)
Projected Median Income 2030
$145,816
+$72,959 from 2023 ($72,857)
Year-by-Year Detail
| Year | Population | YoY % | Median Income | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 172 | — | $27,031 | — |
| 2015 | 207 | +20.3% | $55,139 | +104% |
| 2017 | 156 | -24.6% | $53,500 | -3% |
| 2019 | 216 | +38.5% | $32,292 | -39.6% |
| 2021 | 288 | +33.3% | $34,583 | +7.1% |
| 2023 | 167 | -42% | $72,857 | +110.7% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (Data Commons). Home value and rent are not yet available historically.