Imperial County is a county located on the southeast border of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 179,702, making it the least populous county in Southern California. The county seat and largest city is El Centro. Imperial is the most recent California county to be established, as it was created in 1907 out of portions of San Diego County.

Imperial County is located in the far southeast of California, in the Imperial Valley. It borders San Diego County to the west, Riverside County to the north, the U.S. state of Arizona to the east and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. It includes the El Centro Metropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the Southern California border region, the smallest but most economically diverse region in the state.[12]

Although this region is a desert, with high temperatures and low average rainfall of 3 inches (76 mm) per year, the economy is strongly based on agriculture. This is supported by irrigation, with water supplied wholly from the Colorado River via the All-American Canal.

The Imperial Valley straddles the border between the United States and Mexico. Imperial County is strongly influenced by Mexican culture. Approximately 80% of the county’s population is Hispanic, with the vast majority being of Mexican origin. The remainder of the population is predominantly non-Hispanic white, in addition to smaller African American, Native American, and Asian minorities.

Imperial, CA County has seen a slight decrease in violent crime, with a rate of 21.8, which is slightly lower than the national average of 22.7. However, the county continues to struggle with property crime, with a rate of 42.2 compared to the national average of 35.4. This disparity between violent and property crime rates suggests that while the county may be making progress in reducing violent crime, there is still work to be done in addressing property crime. This could be due to a variety of factors, such as poverty, drug use, and insufficient law enforcement resources. However, it is important for the community and law enforcement to continue their efforts in keeping Imperial, CA County safe and reducing crime rates even further. As the context provided states, the county’s crime rates are slightly lower than the national averages, but there is always room for improvement and a safe and secure community should be the ultimate goal.