Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Imperial Beach | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $553,734 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -7.6% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $1,908 | $1,955 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 6.3% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Imperial Beach is about 14% lower than in California. Rent is about 2% lower than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Imperial Beach: home prices fell about 7.6% a year while rent rose about 6.3% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Imperial Beach rose about 57.8% between 2015 and 2023, from $1,209 to $1,908. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 7.1 yearly household incomes in Imperial Beach.
Buying the median-priced home in Imperial Beach costs roughly 24.2 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Imperial Beach. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.
| Metric | Imperial Beach | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $553,734 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $78,144 | $96,718 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 7.1 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in Imperial Beach rose about 23.0%, while median household income rose about 68.1% between 2009 and 2023 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Imperial Beach | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 27.6% | 51.6% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 63.2% | 40.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 9.2% | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 12.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2014 | 2011 | 2011 |
Imperial Beach has a homeownership rate of 27.6%, lower than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.2%, compared with 7.6% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Imperial Beach | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.70 people | 2.85 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1974 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Imperial Beach was built around 1974. On average, 2.7 people live in a home with about 4.3 rooms, staying for about 12.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Imperial Beach, California.
What is the median home price in Imperial Beach, California?
The median home price in Imperial Beach, California is $553,734, lower than the California average of $642,203.
What is the average home price in Imperial Beach, California?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Imperial Beach, California?
The median gross rent in Imperial Beach, California is $1,908 per month, lower than the California average of $1,955.
What was the median gross rent in Imperial Beach in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Imperial Beach, California was $1,485 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Imperial Beach, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Imperial Beach, California is about 24.2, meaning it would take roughly 24.2 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Imperial Beach.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Imperial Beach, California?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Imperial Beach: home prices fell about 7.6% a year while rent rose about 6.3% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Imperial Beach, California?
27.6% of households in Imperial Beach, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in Imperial Beach, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Imperial Beach, California is 9.2%, higher than the California average of 7.6%.