El Centro, CA has safety grade D, a population of about 43,881, an overall crime rate near 818 per 100k as of 2026. For real estate investors, safety is only half the picture: pair these crime statistics with rental demand and returns to judge whether El Centro, CA is a sound place to buy. See the investment overview for El Centro, CA for median prices, rental yield and Pulse Score, or run the numbers in the ROI analyzer.
El Centro, CA crime snapshot: safety grade D, violent crime rate 5.00 per 1,000 residents, property crime rate 2.00 per 1,000 residents. Compare nearby zip codes, hotspots, and safety recommendations below.
High Risk
per 1000 residents
El Centro, CA shows good safety standards with a B+ rating. While some crime exists, the area maintains reasonable safety levels for most residents.
Given the higher rate of violent crimes (65.7% of total incidents), residents should prioritize personal safety measures, avoid walking alone at night, and stay informed about local safety alerts.
The relatively low crime count of 359 incidents suggests El Centro maintains good community safety standards.
El Centro demonstrates crime rates well below national averages, showcasing effective community safety initiatives.
Based on the provided crime data for the area represented by GEOID 16000US0621782, a total of 359 crimes were recorded. Assault is the most prevalent crime category, accounting for 216 incidents, all classified as "Assault Offenses." Property crime follows with 97 incidents, broken down into Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property (40), Motor Vehicle Theft (4), Stolen Property Offenses (6), Larceny/Theft Offenses (38), and Burglary/Breaking & Entering (9). Sex offenses are also present, with 17 incidents, further categorized into "Sex Offenses" (11) and "Kidnapping/Abduction" (6). Robbery accounts for 19 incidents, all classified as "Robbery." Homicide is the least frequent, with only 1 incident. The "others" category includes 9 incidents, comprising Fraud Offenses (1), Counterfeiting/Forgery (3), Embezzlement (2), and Arson (3).
Explore related real estate, safety, and education data for El Centro, CA.
Browse data for nearby cities and zip codes.
Crime rates are normalized per 1,000 residents based on reported incidents in FBI UCR and local agency feeds. We split incidents into violent, property, and other categories so you can see where the risk concentrates.
The “Safest Zip Codes” section above ranks nearby zip codes by safety score, while the “High Crime Zip Codes” section highlights areas with elevated reported crime in El Centro, CA.
Crime data is refreshed on a rolling basis as updated reports are published by the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer and partnering agencies.
Combine this crime report with the market overview for El Centro, CA and the school report linked in the “Related analysis” section to assess both safety and investment fundamentals.
PulseReal’s analysis is built on top of these public, authoritative datasets.
Official UCR crime statistics by state and agency from the FBI.
Population, demographics, housing, and income data from the US Census Bureau.
Encyclopedic overview of the city, history, and notable landmarks.
Housing affordability, fair-market rents, and market reports from HUD.
Local unemployment and employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Bureau of Justice Statistics publications on US crime victimization.
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