Relocation profile · Federal data
El Centro, CA
Cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools and environment for El Centro - every figure straight from federal data.
- 95.2
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,362
- 2BR rent / mo
- $71,194
- Median salary
- 35.8
- LiveAbility Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, El Centro ranks #350 of 387 US metros on the LiveAbility Score (35.8/100), with its strongest marks in job market and climate.
- #350
- of 387 US metros · Below median
- 39,431,263
- metro-area population
- 477
- violent crimes per 100K (state-level)
- 10,006
- schools in the state (NCES)
Weakest dimension: air quality (3/100). Weigh every dimension against your own priorities, use the City Finder to re-rank by what matters to you.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and five other federal agencies, El Centro has a cost-of-living index of 95.2 (100 = national average), a median 2-bedroom rent of $1,362/mo, and a median salary of $71,194. Its composite LiveAbility Score is 35.8/100, ranking #350 of 387 U.S. metros, with its strongest marks in job market and climate.
How El Centro ranks nationally
Where El Centro's LiveAbility Score falls among all 387 US metros scored.
El Centro has liveability score of 35.8. Distribution: 0 US metros at 0-10; 0 US metros at 10-20; 21 US metros at 20-30; 41 US metros at 30-40; 110 US metros at 40-50; 159 US metros at 50-60; 50 US metros at 60-70; 6 US metros at 70-80; 0 US metros at 80-90; 0 US metros at 90-100.
El Centro, CA: BEA RPP 95.2 (US=100), HUD 2BR rent $1,362/mo, BLS median salary $71,194, FBI violent crime 477/100K (state), NCES 10,006 schools (state), composite Life Score 51.5/100 (D). Source methodology + Life Score formula →
Relocation decisions rarely hinge on a single number. A metro with high salaries but a steep cost of living can leave less disposable income than a cheaper market, and a low crime rate matters more to some households than school options or commute times. The composite Life Score blends federal cost, wage, safety, and education data into one comparable figure, but each underlying component is shown separately so you can weight what matters to your own situation. Read every metric against your priorities rather than chasing the highest headline score, and confirm the latest figures on the official source before you commit to a move.
Key Metrics
Housing & Rent
HUD Fair Market Rents for the El Centro metropolitan area. Regional housing cost index: 66.3 (100 = national average).
Wages & Employment
El Centro has 57,840 total employment with a median salary of $71,194.
Top Occupations by Employment
| Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,320 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $35,140 |
| Cashiers | $35,090 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,490 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $38,840 |
Schools & Education
State-level education data for the El Centro area from NCES.
Childcare Costs
State-average childcare costs for the El Centro area (DOL data).
Life Score Breakdown
El Centro's composite Life Score is 51.5/100 (D), computed across 7 dimensions.
LiveAbility Score
View full rankings →El Centro ranks #350 out of 387 metros with a LiveAbility Score of 35.8/100 - a composite of 8 quality-of-life dimensions from federal data. Customize the weights to match your priorities →
El Centro - dimension scores
Percentile vs all US metros (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Job market
Job market
87 /100
- Climate
Climate
60 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
42 /100
- Housing
Housing
42 /100
- Safety 13
Safety
13 /100
- Low hazard 12
Low hazard
12 /100
- Schools 8
Schools
8 /100
- Air quality 3
Air quality
3 /100
What this shows El Centro's strongest dimensions are job market and climate; its weakest is air quality at 3/100. The composite weights cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12%, air & hazard 10%, climate 8%.
Compare El Centro To
Explore More El Centro Data
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for El Centro with these specialized data portals.
💰
Cost of Living
BEA Regional Price Parities for El Centro - goods, services, and rent price indexes compared to national average.
PlainCost →
🏠
Fair Market Rents
HUD Fair Market Rents by county near El Centro - studio through 4-bedroom, with year-over-year trends.
PlainRent →
🏫
School Quality
NCES school data near El Centro - enrollment, student-teacher ratios, Title I status, and chronic absenteeism.
PlainSchools →
💵
Salary Data
BLS occupational wage data for El Centro - 830+ occupations with median and mean salaries.
WageDex →
📊
Metro Life Score
El Centro composite life score across 7 dimensions, cost, safety, schools, wages, weather, health, and environment.
PlainCompare →
🔓
Crime Data
FBI UCR crime statistics for cities near El Centro - violent crime, property crime, and trends.
PlainCrime →
📍
ZIP Code Data
Census demographics, income, and housing data for ZIP codes near El Centro.
PlainZIP →
Relocation Guides for El Centro
Other Major Metro Areas
Explore relocation data for other major US metropolitan areas.
Compare El Centro Side-by-Side With Other Metros
This page is a relocation deep-dive on El Centro - cost of living, rent, wages, safety, schools, and more. When you're narrowing a shortlist, a side-by-side comparison across the same dimensions is faster. Put El Centro on the same scorecard as the metro you're weighing it against and see at a glance which move actually comes out ahead.
Thinking about El Centro?
How to use this profile before you commit to a move.
- Pressure-test El Centro against the metro you're weighing it against, same dimensions, side by side. Compare metros
- Check what your salary is actually worth here after the 95.2 cost-of-living index. Salary calculator
- Re-rank every US metro by the priorities that matter to you, turn up jobs, turn down climate. City Finder
Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a recommendation. Crime and schools use state-level data where metro-level isn't published. Always visit before you move.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in El Centro?
What is the median salary in El Centro?
How safe is El Centro?
What are the schools like in El Centro?
How much does childcare cost in El Centro?
Is El Centro a good place to relocate?
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Related
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, HUD, BLS, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) - cost-of-living indices by metro and state. bea.gov/data/regional-price-parities
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - metro-level fair-market rent estimates. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) - wage estimates by metro. bls.gov/oes
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - crime statistics for safety scoring. fbi.gov/ucr
- NCES Common Core of Data - public-school quality indicators, state-level where metro-level isn't published. nces.ed.gov/ccd
- EPA AirNow + Air Quality System (AQS) - air-quality measurements, state-level where metro-level isn't published. epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic + housing characteristics. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau → · Verify with FEMA →
Every figure on PlainRelocate is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.