Census-designated place · Imperial County, California

Niland, California

Niland is a census-designated place in Imperial County, California, part of the El Centro, CA metro area. It has 1,116 residents. Niland, California has a quality-of-life score of 8 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,453 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #900 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on public transit commuters (high), unemployment rate (low) and comfortable days (high). It ranks worst on median household income (low), hot days (high) and rent-burdened households (high).

8Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,453 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #900 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 1,116 (2020-2024)
Land area: 0 mi²
Density: 2,778.7 /mi²
FIPS code: 0651392

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety58#6,502/15,637
Economy22#12,218/15,631
Housing—
Health41#9,241/15,609
Healthcare16#13,120/15,650
Environment3#14,922/15,453
Education3#15,106/15,649
Infrastructure38#9,647/15,650
Community3#15,184/15,651
Leisure & amenities14#13,479/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Niland, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Imperial County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Public transit commuters · high12.0%
98/100California 2.9%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Unemployment rate · low0.0%
98/100California 5.5%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Comfortable days · high35.7%
95/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationImperial County value
Suicide rate · low7.3 /100k
95/100California 9.9 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataImperial County value
Injury deaths · low58 /100k
89/100California 67 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteImperial County value
Public EV charging ports · high10.5 /10k
84/100California 17.4 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyImperial County value

Weaknesses

Median household income · low$2,499
0/100California $100,130United States $81,6042018-2022U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013At most this value: the publisher's bottom bracket is open-ended
Hot days · high177 days
0/100California 66 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationImperial County value
Rent-burdened households · high100.0%
1/100California 55.3%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Mammography screening · low28.0%
1/100California 38.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteImperial County value
Poor or fair health · high35.9%
2/100California 21.5%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
High school diploma or higher · low66.9%
2/100California 84.7%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
631 (2015-2019) → 1,116 (2020-2024)
+77%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
76.3% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−76 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
60.1% (2015-2019) → 14.8% (2020-2024)
−45 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
57.1% (2015-2019) → 93.0% (2020-2024)
+36 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
64.3% (2015-2019) → 100.0% (2020-2024)
+36 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Unemployment rateImproving
20.7% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−21 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Niland, California improved on 2 of 4 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 1 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Child poverty−76 points76.3% → 0.0%
Broadband+36 points57.1% → 93.0%

Declined1

Inequality+0.2890.388 → 0.677

All 4 measures

Change of every measure of Niland, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Broadband subscriptions	57.1%2015-2019	93.0%2020-2024	+36 points	Improved	99%
Child poverty rate	76.3%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	−76 points	Improved	100%
High school diploma or higher	47.3%2015-2019	66.9%2020-2024	+20 points	Within the margin of error	99%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3882015-2019	0.6772020-2024	+0.289	Declined	0%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 6681 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Niland, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Niland, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

No place that looked like Niland, California five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

For comparison, Niland, California itself moved −3.9 points in standing on average over the same 3 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,116 residents (±716)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,116 residents (±716)

Niland, California
California share

White1.7%†19
Black11%†124
Hispanic or Latino87%†

Education

637 residents (±423)

Niland, California
California share

No high school diploma33%†211
High school or GED23%†145
Some college30%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

314 households (±222)

Niland, California
California share

Under $25k59%†184
$25k–50k0.0%0
$50k–75k21%†67
$75k–100k0.0%0
$100k–150k13%†41
$150k–200k0.0%0
$200k or more7.0%†22

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−26.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

314 households (±222)

Niland, California
California share

Own54%†171
Rent46%†143

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

143 households (±191)

Niland, California
California share

Under $75013%†19
$750–1,00087%†124
$1,000–1,5000.0%0

Home values

171 homes (±89)

Niland, California
California share

Under $150k25%†42
$150k–250k37%†63
$250k–400k26%†44

Age of homes

379 homes (±226)

Niland, California
California share

2010 or later5.8%†22
2000–200912%†44
1980–199921%†80

Size of homes

379 homes (±226)

Niland, California
California share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom39%†146
2 bedrooms13%†49

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

532 workers (±383)

Niland, California
California share

Drive alone37%†197
Carpool0.0%0
Public transit12%†64
Walk23%†124
Bike0.0%0
Work from home16%†85
Other12%†62

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+16.0 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

447 workers (±327)

Niland, California
California share

Under 15 min40%†178
15–29 min15%†69
30–44 min34%†151

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the El Centro, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Imperial County, the county holding most of Niland's residents.

Imperial County has 2,677 employer establishments, 148 for every 10,000 residents (0.60× the US rate of 248; 0.56× California's), with 34,323 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,926. The Census Bureau also counts 11,184 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,677; 11,184 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 148; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 34,323
Average annual pay: $46,926; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Imperial County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	225	12.5	0.68×Fewer than typical	3,792	$24,941	89
Ambulatory health care services	203	11.2	0.54×Fewer than typical	2,876	$60,598	379
Truck transportation	156	8.6	1.71×More than typical	834	$57,707	691
Lessors of real estate	155	8.6	0.70×Fewer than typical	525	$36,777	618
Limited-service restaurants	110	6.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	2,133	$23,906	18
Specialty trade contractors	104	5.8	0.37×Fewer than typical	966	$61,104	551
Clothing and accessories stores	88	4.9	1.34×More than typical	1,648	$19,928	178
Offices of physicians	88	4.9	0.75×Fewer than typical	898	$74,468	48
Full-service restaurants	73	4	0.53×Fewer than typical	1,275	$26,740	35
Automotive repair and maintenance	69	3.8	0.76×Fewer than typical	386	$41,034	225
Gasoline stations	63	3.5	1.08×About typical	721	$29,935	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	60	3.3	0.76×Fewer than typical	210	$56,452	145

Rank places for an industry Open Imperial County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 180,683 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Niland is mostly in Imperial County.

See federal money in Imperial County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Niland, California is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Raul RuizD-CA-25 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.2%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Imperial County16100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

El Centro, CA12

Other cities and towns in Imperial County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

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