Places › California › Calexico

Living in Calexico, CA

Small city in California

Calexico is a small city in California, home to about 38,000 people, with 147,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Calexico a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.6× the US rate (FBI 2019)
  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $384k and rents for $1,850 a month
  • Low natural disaster risk: 5 federally declared disasters since 2000

👎 Cons

  • Hot summers: highs around 106°F
  • Weaker public schools: test results well below the US average
  • Smaller job market: about 147,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 21% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Calexico ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
38,000
147,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
72°F / 106°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$384k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,850/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
95
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.91% property tax
Safety
0.6× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
5 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 25 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
21%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
PSP
98 mi away

Living in Calexico: common questions

What is the cost of living in Calexico?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $384k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,850 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 95, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Calexico?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.91% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Calexico safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.6× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Calexico?

Public schools in Calexico test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 25 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Calexico?

Calexico is warm all year: winter days average around 72°F and summer days around 106°F.

Does Calexico get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.01 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Calexico?

The nearest major airport is PSP, about 98 mi away.

How Calexico scores

Each bar compares Calexico with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban & suburban mix Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly walkable Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateWarm all year Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAffordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceModerate pace Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingGood
💸Low taxesPoor
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcarePoor
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyBelow average
🐕Dog-friendlyPoor
⛰️OutdoorsGood
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyExcellent
🌤️Mild summersPoor
✈️AirportAverage

Places like Calexico

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Porterville, CASmall city38 $329k$2,030/moSafe El Centro, CASmall city39 $377k$1,850/moSafe East Niles, CASuburb41 $265k$2,060/moNo crime data Brawley, CASmall city43 $349k$1,850/moSafe Los Banos, CASmall city44 $421k$2,070/moSafe Oildale, CASuburb38 $262k$2,060/moNo crime data

Nearby

El Centro, CASmall city · 8 mi away39 $377k$1,850/moSafe Brawley, CASmall city · 20 mi away43 $349k$1,850/moSafe San Luis, AZSmall city · 47 mi away46 $236k$1,890/moVery safe Yuma, AZSmall city · 51 mi away49 $284k$1,890/moSafe Fortuna Foothills, AZSmall city · 64 mi away38 $204k$1,890/moNo crime data Coachella, CASmall city · 79 mi away39 $399k$2,910/moSafe

See all the best places to live in California.

Is Calexico right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.