Metro Life Score
El Centro, CA
Above-median composite Life Score — grade B-, 53rd percentile of the national corpus.
- 50.3
- Life Score / 100
- B-
- Grade (curved)
- #183
- of 387 metros
- 53%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
El Centro is above-median composite Life Score — #183 of 387 (50.3/100, grade B-, 53rd percentile). Carried by schools at 94/100; held back most by childcare at 9/100.
- 53rd
- composite percentile
- #183
- of 387 peers
- 42nd
- cost dimension percentile
- 79th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · signature wages
El Centro: pay power is the signature
El Centro stamps MID · SCHOOL-STRONG with wages at the 79th percentile of the metro corpus (HIGH) — ahead of its cost mark (MID, 42nd) and composite #183. Schools (94/100) amplifies the lead; Childcare (9/100) is the residual gap. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, El Centro, CA ranks #183 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #224 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 95.2 (rent-RPP 66.3). BLS median salary $71,194, 57,840 jobs (Home Health and Personal Care Aides, Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse, Cashiers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,362/mo (studio $939).
FBI UCR (CA): 477 violent, 1986 property/100K. NCES: 20.8:1 ratio, 12.8% charter. DOL infant childcare $17,920/yr. EPA: 116 Superfund sites (CA).
Where El Centro sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
50 53rd percentile higher than 53% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 50.3 is built
El Centro's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How El Centro scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are CA state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare El Centro With...
Ranking Context
El Centro outranks 53% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #180 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | 50.4 | B- |
| #181 | Jefferson City, MO | 50.5 | B- |
| #182 | Williamsport, PA | 50.6 | B- |
| #183 | El Centro, CA | 50.3 | B- |
| #184 | Florence, SC | 50.3 | B- |
| #185 | Athens-Clarke County, GA | 50.2 | B- |
| #186 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 50.1 | B- |
Quality vs. Affordability
El Centro, CA's quality rank (top 47% highest-quality) and affordability rank (bottom 42% least affordable) sit close together -- an unusually proportionate metro where overall quality and cost-of-living move together.
CA Metro Scores
Read with El Centro
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for El Centro (MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/HIGH), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Florence, SC
ABS(composite) peer at 50.3 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/HIGH.
Athens-Clarke County, GA
ABS(composite) peer at 50.2 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/HIGH.
Greensboro-High Point, NC
ABS(composite) peer at 50.4 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/HIGH.
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
ABS(composite) peer at 50.1 (Δ 0.2 vs this metro); lower Life Score · grade B- vs this page's MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/HIGH.
Savannah, GA (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 42/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
Pittsfield, MA (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 42/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp MID vs this metro's MID.
El Centro, CA relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · SCHOOL-STRONG · MID/HIGH - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using El Centro's middle-third Life Score
El Centro scores 50.3/100 overall, but Schools (94.3) and Childcare (8.5) sit 85.8 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Schools is the strongest of El Centro's seven dimensions (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Childcare is the weakest (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Bakersfield is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Bakersfield
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.