Residential comparison · 13 facts
El Cajon, CA vs Imperial Beach, 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 $86,500 in Imperial Beach to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Imperial Beach, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $83,500 in El Cajon.
A few differences
- Imperial Beach is higher on median household income ($86,111 vs $67,511).
- El Cajon is lower on cost of living index (133 vs 144).
- El Cajon is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,951/mo vs $2,058/mo).
El Cajon vs Imperial Beach · facet by facet
| Facet | El Cajon, CA | Imperial Beach, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $681,700 | $857,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,951/mo | $2,058/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 | 144 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $67,511 | $86,111 |
| 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 · Imperial Beach, CA
Questions & answers
- Is El Cajon cheaper than Imperial Beach?
- El Cajon has the lower day-to-day cost index (133 vs 144 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Imperial Beach equals $85,000 in El Cajon?
- A household earning $85,000 in El Cajon needs about $86,500 in Imperial Beach to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Imperial Beach lifestyle costs about $83,500 in El Cajon.