92243 ZIP Code — El Centro, CA

Imperial County, California

ZIP code 92243 is located in El Centro, California, within Imperial County. It covers approximately 113.29 square miles and serves a population of 49,193 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 760/442.

About ZIP code 92243

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $260,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 53%.

Median household income is $54,250. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 22% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 29% of households.

Overall, ZIP code 92243 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

49,193

population

113.29

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

92243 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 92243

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 92243. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
El Centro	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

92231 Calexico (7.8 mi) 92251 Imperial (8.1 mi) 92249 Heber (9.3 mi) 92250 Holtville (14.7 mi) 92227 Brawley (19.2 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	49,193
Population density	434 / sq mi
State FIPS	06
County FIPS	025

Geography
Land area	113.29 sq mi
Water area	0.07 sq mi
Latitude	32.7709
Longitude	-115.6023
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	760/442

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.3%	52.5%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	25.7%	27.2%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	17.4%	17.3%	26.4%
Over $200k	3.5%	3.0%	13.3%

Demographics & statistics

49,193

Population

434

People per sq mi

32.1

Median age

$54,250

Median household income

$22,059

Per capita income

$260,400

Median home value

$936

Median monthly rent

52.6%

Home ownership

21.5%

Poverty rate

9.9%

Unemployment

9,055

Housing units

16.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,646

Under 5

1,602

2,150

5–9

2,093

2,342

10–14

2,281

1,996

15–19

1,944

1,701

20–24

1,656

3,547

25–34

3,454

2,879

35–44

2,803

2,745

45–54

2,673

1,053

55–59

1,025

1,436

60–64

1,399

1,903

65–74

1,852

984

75–84

958

543

85+

528

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	14,520	29.5%
18 and over	34,673	70.5%
65 and over	6,768	13.8%
Median age	32.1 years

Race & ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 39.4%

Other race 27.7%

White 17%

Two or more races 12.5%

Black or African American 2.1%

Asian 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Group	Count	%
Hispanic or Latino	31,985	39.4%
Other race	22,467	27.7%
White	13,771	17%
Two or more races	10,172	12.5%
Black or African American	1,674	2.1%
Asian	689	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	390	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.3%	52.5%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	25.7%	27.2%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	17.4%	17.3%	26.4%
Over $200k	3.5%	3.0%	13.3%

Under $10k 6.3%

$10k–$15k 6.1%

$15k–$25k 11.5%

$25k–$35k 8.2%

$35k–$50k 14.8%

$50k–$75k 16.4%

$75k–$100k 12.1%

$100k–$150k 15.5%

$150k–$200k 4.9%

$200k+ 4.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.3%
$10k–$15k	6.1%
$15k–$25k	11.5%
$25k–$35k	8.2%
$35k–$50k	14.8%
$50k–$75k	16.4%
$75k–$100k	12.1%
$100k–$150k	15.5%
$150k–$200k	4.9%
$200k+	4.2%
Median income	$54,250

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.9%

$50k–$100k 5.8%

$100k–$150k 4.7%

$150k–$200k 8.9%

$200k–$300k 29.8%

$300k–$500k 30.1%

$500k–$1M 6.1%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$260,400
Median rent / month	$936
Owner occupied	52.6%
Renter occupied	47.4%
Vacant	12.6%
Single-family detached	53.7%
Large apartment buildings	7.8%
Mobile homes	12.7%
Median rooms	4.7
Avg household size (owned)	3.70

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	4.0%
2000–2009	15.0%
1990–1999	15.7%
1980–1989	18.9%
1970–1979	18.0%
1960–1969	12.3%
1950–1959	10.4%
1940–1949	2.8%
1939 or earlier	2.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.3%
1 bedroom	16.0%
2 bedrooms	24.6%
3 bedrooms	31.3%
4 bedrooms	19.3%
5+ bedrooms	4.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.0%
1 vehicle	29.6%
2 vehicles	38.4%
3 or more	26.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	24.6%
Electricity	68.7%
Propane / LP gas	2.3%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	4.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,696	49.5%
Cohabiting couple	1,048	7.8%
Male householder, no spouse	2,080	15.4%
Female householder, no spouse	3,696	27.3%
Households with children under 18	5,668	41.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,600	34.0%
Average household size	3.56

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	43.5%	33.9%
Married	45.9%	39.7%
Separated	2.0%	4.8%
Widowed	1.5%	11.1%
Divorced	7.0%	10.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 14.5%

Some HS, no diploma 13.1%

HS graduate 25.1%

Some college, no degree 22.3%

Associate's degree 8.9%

Bachelor's degree 10.4%

Graduate / professional 5.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	72.4%
Bachelor's or higher	16.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	723	4.7%
Kindergarten	788	5.2%
Elementary school	6,940	45.4%
High school	3,823	25.0%
College / grad school	3,010	19.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.0%

Retail trade 12.4%

Public administration 10.4%

Agriculture & mining 9.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.1%

Construction 6.6%

Transportation & utilities 6.1%

Professional & management 5.3%

Other services 4.9%

Manufacturing 3.7%

Finance & real estate 2.7%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.3%
Service	25.7%
Sales & office	17.4%
Natural resources & construction	14.9%
Production & transportation	15.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	67.7%
Government	25.1%
Self-employed	7.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.4%
Carpool	12.1%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	2.6%
Work from home	4.6%
Other means	2.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.4

Poverty

All people 21.5%

Under 18 years 29.9%

18 and over 18.0%

Married-couple families 12.0%

Female-led households 37.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.8%
Retirement income	15.2%
Supplemental Security	11.5%
Cash public assistance	5.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	22.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.9%
High blood pressure	29.8%
High cholesterol	30.2%
Diabetes	13.8%
Heart disease	6.3%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	20.6%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	6.4%
Cancer	4.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.2%
Binge drinking	17.5%
No physical activity	30.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.5%
Depression	17.6%
Fair or poor health	23.8%
Poor mental health	16.1%
Poor physical health	13.6%
No health insurance	24.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	66.2%
Visited dentist	53.2%
Cholesterol screening	87.5%
Teeth loss	16.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,876	5.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.0%
Under 18	6.0%
18–64 years	13.1%
65 and over	49.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	45.0%
Public insurance	58.6%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	1.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	45,945	93.4%
Spanish	13,151	28.6%
Other Indo-European	12,973	28.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	63	0.1%
Other languages	115	0.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	34,986	71.1%
Born in same state	33,228	67.5%
Born in different state	29,507	60.0%
Foreign born	1,758	3.6%
Naturalized citizen	14,207	28.9%
Not a US citizen	7,687	54.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	990	2%
Arab	878	1.8%
French	845	1.7%
Polish	70	0.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	22	0%
Irish	19	0%
Dutch	7	0%
German	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	27.5%
Internet access	94.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 92243

What city is ZIP code 92243 in?

ZIP code 92243 is primarily assigned to El Centro, California.

What county is ZIP code 92243 in?

ZIP code 92243 falls within Imperial County, California.

Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 92243?

Approximately 29% of households in ZIP code 92243 speak Spanish as a primary language.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 92243?

22% of residents in ZIP code 92243 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 92243?

ZIP code 92243 has an estimated population of 49,193 residents, with a density of 434 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 92243?

The median household income in ZIP code 92243 is $54,250, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 92243 in?

ZIP code 92243 observes the PST timezone.