We were so fortunate to have experienced living in Imperial Beach (IB) as our first hop on our adventure to find home. IB is a quintessential, California beach town with access to miles of beach front, big waves, and chill vibes. The city is best recognized by its pier which extends into the water at the end of Evergreen Ave.
The city center is cute with a number of restaurants, hotels, parks and people watching. Our IB condo was located on Seacoast Drive between the Tijuana estuary and the beach. Having dolphins and surfers in our backyard was quite a treat! Check out episode 5, We're In Imperial Beach to get some highlights from our experience staying here.
So are we moving to Imperial Beach, California? Let's see what the numbers have to say.
Table of Contents
Overall Score
Scores by categories
Affordability
Cannabis
Coffee
Community
Diversity
Dog Friendly
Grocery Stores
Magical Spirit
Natural Beauty
Parks & Rec
Political Climate
Restaurants
Sustainability
Walkability & Bikeability
Weather
Wine & Beer
Summary of Imperial Beach's Livability Rating
Overall score: 68 / 100 = Okay!
A score of 68 puts Imperial Beach into an average range for us. Compare this to Berkeley, CA , which scored >80 points, it seems like IB may be out of the running as a contender for home. That said, critical categories scoring well, such as affordability and community, could have us reassessing this conclusion in the future.
Affordability
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 5.7
As of February 2022 Imperial Beach Median Home Prices are 860K (and trending up).
Our ideal home would be a 2 bedroom 1+ bath (approx. 900 square feet) home with some outdoor space. We would expect to pay a minimum of $380,000 for this type of house in Imperial Beach, putting our desired home within reach of our budget.
Cannabis Culture
Rating = 0 nonexistent
Weighted score: 0
There are no cannabis dispensaries within the city of Imperial Beach, giving it a zero rating on our scoring system. You can, of course, get delivery or travel to a neighboring city. But we don't give credit for delivery services (in any category), and we try to keep our assessment focused on the city itself.
Coffee / Cafes
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3
There are limited coffee choices in Imperial Beach. The only place to buy a bag of fresh coffee is the area Starbuck's (or the grocery store), which is why the coffee/cafe category scored an average 3 on our scale.
That said, we really enjoyed the friendly atmosphere over at Katy's Cafe and the Mexican mocha at IB Espresso is perfection, especially when you enjoy your drink at the nearby patio fire pits or on the beach.
Community
Rating = 4
Weighted score: 7.6
We were really surprised by how friendly and laid back the community of Imperial Beach is. Having just left the intense vibe of the Bay Area, it took us a little bit of practice to open up again.
During our morning walks, neighbors would literally call across the street to say "hello", and conversations in grocery store lines were common and easy. We really appreciated the open feeling and think that, had we had a bit more time to open up a bit and drop our city defenses, it would be pretty easy to meet people and make friends in Imperial Beach.
Why not a 5? Well, part of community is family and while we're pretty close to our San Diego superfam in IB, it is still a pretty long drive to go see them in North County, especially when battling San Diego traffic congestion.
Diversity
Rating = 4
Weighted score: 5.2
Imperial Beach is considered an extremely diverse city with a diversity index of 83.
Here's how the racial demographics of Imperial Beach compares to the United States.
| Race | % Population in IB | % Population in U.S. | IB Vs. U.S. |
| Black | 6% | 13% | -7% |
| Hispanic / Latino | 52% | 18% | +34% |
| Asian | 7% | 6% | +1% |
| White | 67% | 76% | -11% |
We know this chart is not all inclusive, but we hope it illustrates the demographic makeup of the area vs. the country.
During our month in Imperial Beach, Tre' did not feel singled out as a black man and people took no obvious notice of us being an interracial couple. We appreciated the strong Mexican influence in the area and were even treated to a surprise experience with a "Christmas Powwow on the Beach" where we got to experience indigenous music, dance, and storytelling.
So why not a 5? The Bay Area really showed us what a fully diverse community is like and while we definitely experienced racial diversity in IB, we felt that other types of diversity weren't quite as prominent, including gender and sexuality.
Dog Friendly
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3
We are giving Imperial Beach an average score for the dog friendly category. We discovered a couple of really nice dog friendly patios in the area where we could dine out. In addition, there were two really awesome places to walk Oskar, including along the beach and within the Tijuana Estuary.
Unfortunately, neither of these places allowed dogs to run off leash. Lifeguards patrol the beach and regularly warn and ticket folks for breaking these rules. Additionally, there was a long stretch of beach that doesn't allow dogs at all and the closest park didn't allow dogs on the grass. The result is that Oskar was leashed the entire time we lived in IB and only able to run wild when we drove out of the area to find friendlier destinations.
Grocery Stores/Farmer's Market
Rating = 4
Weighted score: 5.2
When scoring an area's grocery options, we're looking for abundant fresh food and plenty of options. Imperial Beach slid in with an above average score. Besides a variety of basic grocers, we were delighted to discover La Posta Market where we could find all manner of produce and delicious Mexican food, including a fresh salsa bar. Yum!
Imperial Beach is also home to a Friday Farmer's market, but unfortunately it's not open all year around so we were not able to experience it for ourselves.
Magical Spirit
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3
We gave Imperial Beach an average score in this category, but again we're not sure whether or not this is fair. Often times, there is more magical spirit below the surface and it can take time to see it.
However, we did notice a few practitioners during our stay there including some outdoor yoga at the park and Vitamin Sea Wellness, which provides services such as acupuncture and meditation.
Natural Beauty
Rating = 5
Weighted score: 5
This one was super easy for us to rate. Imperial Beach is right along the Pacific Ocean and has a long, sandy beach that goes nearly to the Mexico border. We woke up in the mornings to beautiful ocean waves, dolphins, and surfers in our back yard.
In our front yard, we had access to a vast estuary, which is filled with a variety of beautiful birds including ducks, egrets, and cranes.
There is no lack of natural beauty here.
Parks & Rec
Rating = 4
Weighted score: 4
The same places that make Imperial Beach beautiful (the beach and estuary) also provide it with outdoor recreation spaces. We were particularly impressed by the long and well maintained trail that wanders into the heart of the estuary. You can make a great day of it walking, but make sure the tide isn't too high, or some areas become difficult to navigate without getting your feet wet.
Another mention is the Bayshore Bikeway, which makes a 24-mile loop around the San Diego Bay, with a trailhead in Imperial Beach at 13th Street off Cypress Ave.
Political Climate
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 4.8
Imperial Beach is a moderately liberal city. There is a large military presence in the area due to the Naval Outlying Landing Field (NOLF), and the proximity to the extensive border wall is a reminder of the complex politics of border cities.
That said, the area felt balanced and reasonable. We didn't notice aggressive political statements in either direction and it seemed as if there was a general sense of mutual respect within the community. We were here during Covid-19 mask mandates, and the majority of people abided by them in consideration for the health of others.
We're not sure whether applying an average score to this category is a bit of a cop-out. We think we may need to closely consider the questions we ask ourselves when reflecting on the politics of a city.
Restaurants
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3
Admittedly, we did not make the most of the food scene while we were in IB partly due to the cool, dark and rainy nights. It felt challenging to motivate to get out after work. However, compared to more populated metro areas that we've grown accustomed to, the restaurant choices here are fairly slim and mostly limited to a breweries, pizza, and Mexican fare.
We really enjoyed City Tacos, which serves food in partnership with the Mike Hess Brewery. They have an expansive patio set up complete with gas fire pits. In our opinion, the best thing on the menu is the Elote Asado, which is a corn cob covered in lime aioli, cotija cheese, and tajin. Yum!!
Sustainability
Rating = 4
Weighted score: 5.2
Imperial Beach maintains what it calls a "resilient climate action plan", last revised in 2019, which attempts to balance development with conservation. Among other efforts, the city "Seek(s) to quantify 'blue carbon' greenhouse gas benefits and identify opportunities to sequester emissions through restoration, enhancement, expansion, and conservation of wetlands and other natural habitats."
The presence and conservation of the expansive Tijuana River Estuary, as well as the Pacific coastline and San Diego Bay, gives Imperial Beach an outsized impact in open space conservation and blue carbon sequestration, especially considering the small size of the town.
Since IB is within San Diego county, the city also benefits from San Diego's movement toward clean energy sources via San Diego Community Power and the city incentivizes solar panel installation.
Other small sustainable touches are the presence of charging stations, community gardens, and compost and recycling services.
Walkability/Bikeability
Rating = 3
Weighted score: 3.3
We gave Imperial Beach an average score in this category due to the inconvenience of the city layout, which makes walking to destinations pretty challenging for most residents. The businesses are located on the western (coastal) and northern (bay) stretches of the city with residential zoning separated and collected in a big block to the southeast.
This means there are limited access points to residential/commercial mixes. If you are deep in the blue residential zone, you will have to bike or drive to get anywhere conveniently.
The good news is there are robust bike lanes on the major streets (Palm Ave and Imperial Beach Blvd) and the city itself is small enough that walking from one corner to the other is only a 45 to 55 minute undertaking, so it can be done. Also if you get a chance to walk through the estuary, it's a beautiful route.
By the way, the experts agree, the official IB Walk score is 69 (average).
Weather
Rating = 4
Weighted score: 6.4
Imperial Beach, California has a primarily cool and comfortable climate , with temperatures ranging from 48 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit, and rarely going above 82.
So why not a 5 rating? Sea level rise and tsunamis are of significant concern for this low lying area, which is surrounded by water on 3 sides (estuary, ocean, and bay). Buying a house in IB, often means signing up for some level of flood risk. A home we looked at on Seacoast Drive, for example, had a flood rating of 10/10 (meaning it is 100% likely to flood within the next five years).
Check out this 2019 video of the ocean cresting rock barriers and flooding the streets during a King Tide event. If you pair a King Tide with a rainstorm, things could get extreme pretty quickly in this water-bound city. We experienced a King Tide during our stay here as well, but fortunately did not have to put out the sandbags that our host had left for us.
Wine & Beer
Rating = 2
Weighted score: 2
Imperial Beach is home to Mike Hess Brewery and the Coronado Brewing Company. Both feature local beers on tap, patios, and a fun vibrant scene. Perhaps this is the most we can expect from a small town such as IB, but the limited choices landed this category at a "below average" 2.
So that's our experience living in Imperial Beach, California for a month. We'd love to hear from you. Hop on over to our contact page to leave us a message and share your experience with IB. Did we miss something that you love about the city?
Listen to our Imperial Beach Rating Episode
