ZIP Code · CA

ZIP 92251

Part of Imperial, CA

Pop. 27,454·Imperial County·768th most expensive ZIP in California

Median rent (all units)

$2,138/mo

Year-over-Year

Stable

Month-over-Month

+2.6%

vs US Median

+$206

Reported rents

Rising (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 92251 · $2,138

More expensive than 68% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

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Compare your rent to the local median.

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,230

1 BR

$1,360

2 BR

$1,790

3 BR

$2,420

4 BR+

$3,000

Research median

$1,790/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($90,709) is $2,268 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,790); a 3-bedroom is $2,420.

Cheaper nearby

ZIP 92243, 9 miles away, rents for 27% less ($1,565/mo), about $6,900 a year in savings.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 92251. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.

Annual cost

$25,656/yr

At $2,138/mo median

Location

CityImperial

StateCA

CountyImperial County

Rent Market Meter

Landlord's Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are climbing (0.0% YoY), so leverage tilts toward landlords. Act sooner rather than later.

Based on rent-price momentum (+0.0% YoY, +2.6% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 92251 (Imperial, CA) is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 18% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

27,454

Median income

$90,709

Median age

33.5

Renters

29.8%

Age distribution

29.7%

22.7%

25.6%

Under 1829.7%

18–3422.7%

35–5425.6%

55–6412%

65+10%

Gender

55%

45%

Male55%

Female45%

Race & ethnicity

24.6%

83.4%

White24.6%

Black3%

Hispanic83.4%

Asian2.8%

Education (25+)

21.8%

24.5%

35.8%

18%

No HS diploma21.8%

HS diploma24.5%

Some college35.8%

Bachelor's+18%

Housing tenure

70.2%

29.8%

Owner70.2%

Renter29.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 92251 in Imperial, CA has changed in 5 years

Income

$85,599 → $90,709

up 6.0%

Population

26,740 → 27,454

up 2.7%

Renter share

30.4% → 29.8%

-0.6 pts

Bachelor's+

18.7% → 18%

-0.7 pts

Median age

31.5 → 33.5

+2.0 yrs

Median household income grew from $85,599 to $90,709 between 2021 and 2024, a 6.0% shift. Headcount in the area went from 26,740 to 27,454 between 2021 and 2024, a 2.7% change.

Community

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Local insights

Tips for renters in ZIP 92251

About renting in ZIP 92251

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 92251 covers Imperial, CA. The median rent here is $2,138/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,360/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,790/mo.

At 28% of local median household income ($90,709/yr), ZIP 92251 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rent prices have stayed steady over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 92251?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $86,000/year (about $41/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $2,138/mo in ZIP 92251. The local median household income is $90,709/yr, so the typical household meets that bar.