Residential comparison · 13 facts
El Cajon, CA vs El Centro, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in El Cajon needs about $71,000 in El Centro to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from El Centro, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $99,000 in El Cajon.
A few differences
- El Cajon is higher on median household income ($67,511 vs $53,082).
- El Centro is lower on cost of living index (101 vs 133).
- El Centro is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,086/mo vs $1,951/mo).
El Cajon vs El Centro · facet by facet
| Facet | El Cajon, CA | El Centro, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $681,700 | $323,100 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,951/mo | $1,086/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 133 | 101 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $67,511 | $53,082 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: El Cajon, CA · El Centro, CA
Questions & answers
- Is El Cajon cheaper than El Centro?
- El Centro has the lower day-to-day cost index (101 vs 133 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in El Centro equals $85,000 in El Cajon?
- A household earning $85,000 in El Cajon needs about $71,000 in El Centro to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of El Centro lifestyle costs about $99,000 in El Cajon.