Imperial is a medium-sized city located in the state of California. With a population of 21,233 people and three associated neighborhoods, Imperial is the 317th largest community in California. Imperial has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Imperial, where the median household income is $83,029.00.

Being a small city, Imperial does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.

In terms of college education, Imperial is nearly on par with the US average for all cities of 21.84%: 20.32% of adults 25 and older in Imperial have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.

The per capita income in Imperial in 2022 was $25,203, which is lower middle income relative to California and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $100,812 for a family of four. However, Imperial contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Imperial is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Imperial home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. People of Hispanic or Latino origin are the most prevalent group in Imperial, accounting for 80.51% of the city’s residents (people of Hispanic or Latino origin can be of any race). The greatest number of Imperial residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Imperial include German, Irish, Italian, African, and Scottish.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Imperial's cultural character, accounting for 25.71% of the city’s population.

The most common language spoken in Imperial is Spanish. Other important languages spoken here include English and Korean.