Imperial County Demographics

A map of Imperial County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
Hispanic	154,886	153,027	86.0%	85.2%
White	16,413	16,813	9.1%	9.4%
Black	3,523	3,846	2.0%	2.1%
Asian	2,260	2,244	1.3%	1.2%
Multiracial	1,634	1,587	0.9%	0.9%
Native American/Other	1,486	2,185	0.8%	1.2%

Imperial County, California has an estimated population of 180,202, a less than 1% change from the 179,702 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 86.0% Hispanic, 9.1% White, 2.0% Black, 1.3% Asian, 0.9% Multiracial, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Imperial County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Imperial has become less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than California overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Imperial County, that probability was 26.5% in 2020 and 25.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Imperial County is ranked the 31st most populous county in California, out of 58 counties. Imperial County was ranked the 31st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Imperial County's White Population

16,413 residents of Imperial County, or 9.1% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Imperial County is significantly lower than in California overall, where 33.8% of the population is White. Imperial County ranks 58th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Imperial County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.4%. White residents' share of Imperial County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 9.1%.

Imperial County is less White than neighboring Riverside County (31% White), San Diego County (42.4% White), Yuma County (29% White), La Paz County (57.3% White), and San Bernardino County (24.7% White).

Imperial County's Black Population

3,523 residents of Imperial County, or 2.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Imperial County is slightly lower than in California overall, where 5.2% of the population is Black. Imperial County ranks 24th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Imperial County's Black population has declined by an estimated 8.4%. Black residents' share of Imperial County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.0%.

Imperial County is more Black than neighboring Yuma County (1.5% Black), and La Paz County (1.4% Black). Imperial County is less Black than neighboring Riverside County (6% Black), San Diego County (4.4% Black), and San Bernardino County (7.5% Black).

Imperial County's Asian Population

2,260 residents of Imperial County, or 1.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Imperial County is considerably lower than in California overall, where 15.3% of the population is Asian. Imperial County ranks 52nd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Imperial County's Asian population has remained roughly the same. Asian residents' share of Imperial County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Imperial County is more Asian than neighboring Yuma County (1% Asian). Imperial County is less Asian than neighboring Riverside County (6.9% Asian), San Diego County (12.1% Asian), La Paz County (1.4% Asian), and San Bernardino County (8.1% Asian).

Imperial County's Hispanic Population

154,886 residents of Imperial County, or 86.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Imperial County is significantly higher than in California overall, where 40.2% of the population is Hispanic. Imperial County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Imperial County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 1.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Imperial County's population has increased from 85.2% to 86.0%.

Imperial County is more Hispanic than neighboring Riverside County (51.3% Hispanic), San Diego County (34.6% Hispanic), Yuma County (64.9% Hispanic), La Paz County (25.6% Hispanic), and San Bernardino County (55.2% Hispanic).

Imperial County's Native American/Other Population

1,486 residents of Imperial County, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Imperial County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Imperial County ranks 47th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Imperial County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 32.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Imperial County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Imperial County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Riverside County (1.2% Native American/Other), San Diego County (1.2% Native American/Other), Yuma County (1.2% Native American/Other), La Paz County (11% Native American/Other), and San Bernardino County (1.1% Native American/Other).

Imperial County's Multiracial Population

1,634 residents of Imperial County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Imperial County is slightly lower than in California overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Imperial County ranks 58th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Imperial County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 3.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Imperial County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Imperial County is less Multiracial than neighboring Riverside County (3.6% Multiracial), San Diego County (5.3% Multiracial), Yuma County (2.3% Multiracial), La Paz County (3.3% Multiracial), and San Bernardino County (3.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.