Imperial County offers a workable gross-income screen but little margin for error once carrying costs and earthquake exposure are reviewed. Zillow’s county reading puts median home value at $380,919 and median asking rent at $1,756 monthly, with a supplied 5.53% gross yield before costs. It suits buyers able to verify parcel insurance and expenses; those relying on in-migration or turnkey cash flow should be cautious.
At Zillow’s 2026-06 reading, asking rent rose 9.27% year over year and median home value 6.50%, supporting the gross-yield screen but not net cash flow. FHFA’s 2025 repeat-transaction HPI rose 7.26%, directionally consistent but not a home value; its different vintage and method cannot be averaged with Zillow. The 0.77% effective property-tax rate consumes part of gross income before unreported insurance, maintenance, vacancy, and management. HUD FMR is a payment standard, not an asking-rent estimate.
Realtor.com’s 2026-06 MLS reading showed 172 active listings, 46 median days on market, and an 11.59% price-reduced share. These are visible asking supply, marketing time, and seller concessions—not sale prices or proof of demand. QCEW’s 2025 annual data show county workplace covered employment expanded; Trade, transportation, and utilities was the largest disclosed private supersector, not the whole economy. Migration was negative 696 tax-return households; entrants averaged $44,722 income versus $47,909 for leavers. Non-occupant purchase mortgages were 52 of 908, a calculated 5.73% share, indicating limited recorded investor participation.
Earthquake is the dominant hazard, and the modeled climate-loss ratio adds a building-value risk signal, not a parcel loss estimate. Missing parcel hazard and insurance terms, operating expenses, lease and vacancy data, and closed-sale comparables prevent underwriting net yield, rent durability, or resale liquidity. Confirm those items by property and submarket before treating county averages as transaction evidence.