Imperial Valley / Mexicali (San Diego, Riverside, Lancaster: apartment, rental, crime)
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I cannot afford San Diego area any longer-rents are through the roof. I am thinking of a move to Imperial Valley or maybe even Mexicali. I am older guy, diabetic with some other health problems. What specialists are available and what are the medical facilities like in the U.S. cities-Brawley, El Centro, Calexico? Mexicali is out for healthcare, my Medicare is no good there. I may eventually have to go on dialysis. If I have to go to San Diego, looks like a 2+ hour bus trip, not including any border crossings, so that no good if medical emergency. I am white, speak little or no Spanish, so is reverse discrimination a problem in the U.S. cities which I know are heavily hispanic or Mexican. Any walmarts or other good shopping in any of those small towns? I researched Mexicali, but most of the articles are way too old. What's the current state there as far as rental prices, safety, immigration. I have a U.S. valid passport. Thanks.
I cannot afford San Diego area any longer-rents are through the roof. I am thinking of a move to Imperial Valley or maybe even Mexicali. I am older guy, diabetic with some other health problems. What specialists are available and what are the medical facilities like in the U.S. cities-Brawley, El Centro, Calexico? Mexicali is out for healthcare, my Medicare is no good there. I may eventually have to go on dialysis. If I have to go to San Diego, looks like a 2+ hour bus trip, not including any border crossings, so that no good if medical emergency. I am white, speak little or no Spanish, so is reverse discrimination a problem in the U.S. cities which I know are heavily hispanic or Mexican. Any walmarts or other good shopping in any of those small towns? I researched Mexicali, but most of the articles are way too old. What's the current state there as far as rental prices, safety, immigration. I have a U.S. valid passport. Thanks.
Although I don't live there, I spend a lot of time out in the IV. Here are three factors that you didn't mention put which I'd weigh carefully:
Air Quality The air quality in the IV is severely impacted by agricultural chemicals and the Salton Sea. Both have gotten worse in recent years. The American Lung Association gives the entire IV an "F" rating because the incidence of asthma and respiratory ailments is so much higher than normal. I'm out in the IV a lot, and often find myself coughing (especially in warmer months) from the air quality (you can literally see the air at times). So, that may be a factor to weigh if you are in poor health. Here's a resource that might be helpful: Air Quality | Air Quality
Heat The heat is also something to weigh. The weather is not bad in the IV from November to April, but then it rapidly gets hot - very hot - and stays that way for the rest of the year. We're talking days and weeks on end with 100+ temperatures. In addition, because of the canals out there, the IV gets more humid than you might expect the desert to get. Keep in mind that much of the IV is BELOW SEA LEVEL.
Crime and poverty Overall, I feel pretty safe in the IV (I'm a woman in my 60s and I'm out there by myself most of the time tromping around taking photographs). But, I have friends and former clients who live there who have warned me that there is a lot of drug activity and crime in certain areas. Coming from San Diego County to the IV, the one thing that you can't help noticing is the obvious poverty and general "run down" feel in many areas, so that might be part of it. I'd check crime statistics (you can plug any address into www.crimemapping.com to do this) before renting an apartment there.
The areas that seem nicest to me (just my opinion) are Imperial and Brawley, although both have some sketchier areas too. They seem like nice, suburban areas for the most part though. Brawley in particular has some lovely, upscale neighborhoods of tree lined streets. Holtville is also a cute little town where I've met some really nice, friendly people but I think that would be too removed without a car. Calexico strikes me as "just OK" It is very much a border town (picture San Ysidro) although parts are nice enough. El Centro has some nice enough areas too, although more than once I've been warned against the east side of town. I'd stay away from Niland, Calipateria and Bombay Beach (basically the towns along the east of the Salton Sea. It's not that they are dangerous areas necessarily, but I have met more than my share of intoxicated folks there and it is an area where the extreme poverty is VERY apparent and in your face, so it wouldn't be my first choice for a place to live. The nicer areas seem to be along the 86. (I have a fondness for Ocotillo, which is the first town you come to when you drop down out of San Diego, but a car would be a necessity there). There are a few other small towns whose names escape me in the IV as well. Mecca is not in Imperial County but is considered "imperial valley" but some. It would not be high on my list either (and again, probably too far removed from hospitals).
To answer some of your other questions:
Hospitals There are at least two hospitals serving the Imperial Valley. One is El Centro Regional Medical Center, which is in El Centro and the other is Pioneer Hosptial which is in Brawley. I've had occasion to use the ERs at both. They are OK, and probably fine for regular types of care. There seem to be plenty of doctors offices in Imperial County, but I would suggest researching which doctors take Medicare before you head out that way very carefully. I also remember seeing a Dialysis/Kidney Care Center out there as well.
Shopping Between El Centro, Imperial, Brawley and Calexico there is plenty of shopping in the IV. There's a Wal Mart and a Target, all the usual supermarkets, and a big mall south of the 8 in El Centro.
Transportation. Although you can find pretty much everything you need somewhere in Imperial County, the problem is everything is very spread out, so if you won't have a car, you'll want to read up on public transportation in the IV and plan your housing options accordingly. I do not see a lot of buses running out there, although there no doubt is some type of bus service.
Spanish. You don't need to speak Spanish in the Imperial Valley. A little will help from time to time, but pretty much everyone you meet will know English (or at least enough to communicate), so you'll be fine without
Spanish (although Calexico seems to have more Spanish only speakers than the other cities). Remember too: back in the early 1900s, a lot of the original ranchers and farmers who settled there were actually from the Midwest and from Europe, so you won't be the only "white" person walking around out there.
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I like Imperial County and the Imperial Valley, and as I said, I spend a lot of time out there for photography purposes, but for me personally it would not be high on my list of places to live full time because of the air quality, the heat, and the really obvious poverty out there. I am not exaggerating when I say that there are places in Imperial County and the IV that look like third world countries, and I think that living there would depress me. But, your mileage may vary.
If you haven't spent much time in the Imperial Valley, I'd definitely recommend seeing if you can do so --- especially during the summer months -- before moving out there. Maybe see if you can get a friend with a car to go stay out there with you for a long weekend so you can get the lay of the land. It is not a horrible place, but it is very, very different from San Diego. Make sure you are OK with the differences.
Have you considered high desert areas in California like Palmdale, Lancaster, Victorville, Yucca Valley, Twenty-nine Palms (there are others)? Overall, I find the weather in the high desert to be a little more tolerable during the summer months, and the housing costs are still going to be much lower than in San Diego county. If you are interested in desert living, you might also want to continue east, and look into Arizona -- plenty of low cost places to live out there, and a major city like Phoenix or Tuscon will give you much better options for medical services.
Here's the name of the Dialysis Center I've passed out in El Centro: Fresenius Kidney Care https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com They seem to have a couple of offices
Have you given any thought to Sun City in Riverside Co. It’s part of Menifee, but has a lot of 55+ communities. A friend of mine bought his parents a place there really cheap years back, so I’m guessing it’s still pretty affordable. You’d be close to Loma Linda medical center, not to mention all the other medical facilities in Riverside and Temecula close by too.
Get a Sentri pass, and move to Tijuana, you can rent an apartment for a lot less there than in San Diego. You'll be closer to San Diego and any medical appointments that you may have.
It sounds like you're retired. If so, moving out of state would probably make more financial sense as well as be a big jump in quality of life compared to IV, Mexicali, IE, High Desert,...etc.
The southeast would be hot and humid, but plenty of small cities with decent quality of life and medical centers. The suburbs around KC or Dallas aren't half bad either but if you're willing to put up with Heat then I'd recommend looking out there over the desert regions.
I want to echo what RosieSD had to say about the Imperial Valley. While cost of housing may be considerably lower than the San Diego area, one must weigh the other variables of life there. I work in the transportation planning and transit analysis field and have done a fair share of work in the Imperial Valley. From a transit perspective, the main public transit operator, Imperial Valley Transit covers much of the Valley and offers high frequency fixed route service between the main cities as well as community shuttles and paratransit for seniors and the disabled. They also operate a medical shuttle, IVT MedTrans, four days a week between the IV and San Diego medical facilities: http://www.ivtmedtrans.com/
The most desirable cities to live would be Brawley and Imperial. Imperial has the highest median income of all the cities in the IV. El Centro is the largest city and county seat. The region has most of the national chain stores as well as the Imperial Valley Mall, located in southeast El Centro near the I-8/Dogwood Interchange. The mall has four major department stores and a cineplex. In addition, there are several other big boxes stores and chain restaurants adjacent.
The extreme summer temperatures may also pose a challenge if you're not accustomed to such heat and need to get out during the daytime. I would also concur with RosieSD that the high desert areas may be a better option such as the Morongo Basin (Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, 29 Palms) or the Victor Valley (Victorville, Apple Valley, Hesperia). Summer temps in these areas are generally 10 to 15 degrees cooler than those in the low desert regions of So Cal. In addition, these locales are closer to larger metro areas.
I work in the transportation planning and transit analysis field and have done a fair share of work in the Imperial Valley. From a transit perspective, the main public transit operator, Imperial Valley Transit covers much of the Valley and offers high frequency fixed route service between the main cities as well as community shuttles and paratransit for seniors and the disabled. They also operate a medical shuttle, IVT MedTrans, four days a week between the IV and San Diego medical facilities: Home | IVT MedTrans
This is great information for justabloke321, sacreole. A big
Although I don't live there, I spend a lot of time out in the IV. Here are three factors that you didn't mention put which I'd weigh carefully:
Air Quality The air quality in the IV is severely impacted by agricultural chemicals and the Salton Sea. Both have gotten worse in recent years. The American Lung Association gives the entire IV an "F" rating because the incidence of asthma and respiratory ailments is so much higher than normal. I'm out in the IV a lot, and often find myself coughing (especially in warmer months) from the air quality (you can literally see the air at times). So, that may be a factor to weigh if you are in poor health. Here's a resource that might be helpful: Air Quality | Air Quality
Heat The heat is also something to weigh. The weather is not bad in the IV from November to April, but then it rapidly gets hot - very hot - and stays that way for the rest of the year. We're talking days and weeks on end with 100+ temperatures. In addition, because of the canals out there, the IV gets more humid than you might expect the desert to get. Keep in mind that much of the IV is BELOW SEA LEVEL.
Crime and poverty Overall, I feel pretty safe in the IV (I'm a woman in my 60s and I'm out there by myself most of the time tromping around taking photographs). But, I have friends and former clients who live there who have warned me that there is a lot of drug activity and crime in certain areas. Coming from San Diego County to the IV, the one thing that you can't help noticing is the obvious poverty and general "run down" feel in many areas, so that might be part of it. I'd check crime statistics (you can plug any address into www.crimemapping.com to do this) before renting an apartment there.
The areas that seem nicest to me (just my opinion) are Imperial and Brawley, although both have some sketchier areas too. They seem like nice, suburban areas for the most part though. Brawley in particular has some lovely, upscale neighborhoods of tree lined streets. Holtville is also a cute little town where I've met some really nice, friendly people but I think that would be too removed without a car. Calexico strikes me as "just OK" It is very much a border town (picture San Ysidro) although parts are nice enough. El Centro has some nice enough areas too, although more than once I've been warned against the east side of town. I'd stay away from Niland, Calipateria and Bombay Beach (basically the towns along the east of the Salton Sea. It's not that they are dangerous areas necessarily, but I have met more than my share of intoxicated folks there and it is an area where the extreme poverty is VERY apparent and in your face, so it wouldn't be my first choice for a place to live. The nicer areas seem to be along the 86. (I have a fondness for Ocotillo, which is the first town you come to when you drop down out of San Diego, but a car would be a necessity there). There are a few other small towns whose names escape me in the IV as well. Mecca is not in Imperial County but is considered "imperial valley" but some. It would not be high on my list either (and again, probably too far removed from hospitals).
To answer some of your other questions:
Hospitals There are at least two hospitals serving the Imperial Valley. One is El Centro Regional Medical Center, which is in El Centro and the other is Pioneer Hosptial which is in Brawley. I've had occasion to use the ERs at both. They are OK, and probably fine for regular types of care. There seem to be plenty of doctors offices in Imperial County, but I would suggest researching which doctors take Medicare before you head out that way very carefully. I also remember seeing a Dialysis/Kidney Care Center out there as well.
Shopping Between El Centro, Imperial, Brawley and Calexico there is plenty of shopping in the IV. There's a Wal Mart and a Target, all the usual supermarkets, and a big mall south of the 8 in El Centro.
Transportation. Although you can find pretty much everything you need somewhere in Imperial County, the problem is everything is very spread out, so if you won't have a car, you'll want to read up on public transportation in the IV and plan your housing options accordingly. I do not see a lot of buses running out there, although there no doubt is some type of bus service.
Spanish. You don't need to speak Spanish in the Imperial Valley. A little will help from time to time, but pretty much everyone you meet will know English (or at least enough to communicate), so you'll be fine without
Spanish (although Calexico seems to have more Spanish only speakers than the other cities). Remember too: back in the early 1900s, a lot of the original ranchers and farmers who settled there were actually from the Midwest and from Europe, so you won't be the only "white" person walking around out there.
---
I like Imperial County and the Imperial Valley, and as I said, I spend a lot of time out there for photography purposes, but for me personally it would not be high on my list of places to live full time because of the air quality, the heat, and the really obvious poverty out there. I am not exaggerating when I say that there are places in Imperial County and the IV that look like third world countries, and I think that living there would depress me. But, your mileage may vary.
If you haven't spent much time in the Imperial Valley, I'd definitely recommend seeing if you can do so --- especially during the summer months -- before moving out there. Maybe see if you can get a friend with a car to go stay out there with you for a long weekend so you can get the lay of the land. It is not a horrible place, but it is very, very different from San Diego. Make sure you are OK with the differences.
Have you considered high desert areas in California like Palmdale, Lancaster, Victorville, Yucca Valley, Twenty-nine Palms (there are others)? Overall, I find the weather in the high desert to be a little more tolerable during the summer months, and the housing costs are still going to be much lower than in San Diego county. If you are interested in desert living, you might also want to continue east, and look into Arizona -- plenty of low cost places to live out there, and a major city like Phoenix or Tuscon will give you much better options for medical services.
Hope this helps!
Excellent post you have made about the Imperial Valley!
Though there is one thing I may have to correct you on. Mecca (next to Thermal) is never considered to be in the Imperial Valley, but rather the Coachella Valley since the schools in Mecca are within the Coachella Valley Unified School District. This is the very first time I have come across anything like this, and being born and raised in the Coachella Valley, I have never heard any of my friends (or, anybody else for that matter) putting Mecca within the Imperial Valley. Besides, it's within Riverside County, after all.
Oh, and another thing, not to sound rude, but it's "Calipatria" without an "e."
As for other small towns whose names escape you in the Imperial Valley (or just Imperial County) personally, well, there's Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, Desert Shores, Palo Verde, Winterhaven, and let's not forget about Slab City. Among some other very small blips on the map.
You happened to have forgotten about another incorporated city in the Imperial Valley: Westmorland.
Just thought I'd put my two cents in.
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