County housing & cost profile
Imperial County, CA
Official Fair Market Rent from HUD and childcare costs from the U.S. Department of Labor for Imperial County - a 2-bedroom benchmarks at $1,362/month against the county's $53,847 median household income, the housing figures the federal government publishes at true county resolution.
- #2,961
- of 3,222 counties for affordability
- $1,362
- 2-BR Fair Market Rent
- $11,533
- Infant care / yr
- $53,847
- Median income
Verify: HUD FMR · DOL childcare · Census ACS
The verdict
A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent costs $16,344 a year in Imperial County, about 30% of the county's median household income, just over the 30% line HUD uses to flag a housing-cost burden.
- $1,362
- 2-BR Fair Market Rent / mo
- 30%
- of median income on rent
- $53,847
- median household income
- $11,533
- infant care / yr
Rent burden in Imperial County
A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent takes 30% of the county's median household income, HUD flags anything above 30% as a housing-cost burden.
Nationally, that ranks Imperial County #2,961 of 3,222 US counties on rent-to-income affordability, more affordable than 8% of counties with comparable HUD and Census data.
Every figure here comes from official federal data, reported at the county level for the two costs that are actually measured that finely. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent is set each fiscal year to anchor Housing Choice Voucher payment standards across all 3,224 U.S. counties; the childcare estimates are drawn from the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices, and median household income comes from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are published only at the state tier, read those on the state profile below.
Fair Market Rent in Imperial County
Childcare costs in Imperial County
The wider picture for California
Housing and childcare are published at true county resolution. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are reported at the state tier, read those on the California profile, which scores all seven dimensions on the national curve.
See the California Life Score →Using Imperial County's figures
Fair Market Rent and childcare are the housing decisions a county actually controls, use them for a move, then read the state page for the rest.
- FMR is HUD’s benchmark for Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, not a market quote, a specific listing can run above or below it. How it is sourced
- Compare Imperial County head-to-head with a neighboring county on rent and childcare. Compare counties
- For crime, schools, wages and environment, read the California state profile. California →
County data here covers housing and childcare; the other dimensions are state-level baselines and vary within a state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Fair Market Rent in Imperial County?
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Imperial County, CA is $1,362/month (FY2026). A studio is $939, a 1-bedroom $1,038, a 3-bedroom $1,845 and a 4-bedroom $2,285. FMR is the benchmark HUD uses to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards.
How much does childcare cost in Imperial County?
Center-based infant care in Imperial County runs about $11,533/year, per U.S. Department of Labor data; preschool-age center care is about $8,383/year.
Is Imperial County an affordable place to live?
A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent ($16,344/year) is about 30% of the county's median household income of $53,847 - above the 30% line HUD uses to flag a cost burden. Crime, schools and wages are best read at the state level on the California page.
Explore more
Every figure on PlainCompare is loaded directly from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OEWS, NCES, DOL, EPA, and the Census Bureau, no number is typed in by an editor. This county's affordability ranking is computed directly from HUD FMR and Census ACS data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.