Uprootmap
El Centro vs Lake Havasu City
El Centro and Lake Havasu City
Photo: S. Winkvist / Wikimedia, CC0
Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.
Other cities
So you know: homicide deaths in Lake Havasu City are close to the US rate in this release, 5.9 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).
Why people look at El Centro to Lake Havasu City
IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from El Centro to Lake Havasu City above the cutoff in 2022-2023.
A one-bedroom asking rent is about $1,009 in El Centro and $1,039 in Lake Havasu City. El Centro has a state tax on wages. Lake Havasu City has a state tax on wages. Local pay in Lake Havasu City is 82% of the national level for the same work, against 80% in El Centro.
Lake Havasu City averages 273 sunny days, with July highs around 106°F and January nights around 35°F. El Centro is 276 sunny days, 103°F in July, 41°F in January. Commutes average 20 minutes in Lake Havasu City and 22 in El Centro.
These figures are projections built from available public data. Conditions change, and the numbers may not reflect current prices, taxes, or immigration rules. Check official sources before you make decisions.
Who already made this move
The IRS did not publish a large enough El Centro → Lake Havasu City pair for 2022-2023. That usually means fewer than a few dozen tax returns, not that nobody moved.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
The monthly number is take-home pay minus rent and the other bills. The gap between El Centro and Lake Havasu City changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.
What the move itself costs
About 248 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $1,800–$3,350
- Container or pod
- $1,200–$2,300
- Rent a truck
- $500–$950
Explore more
Dig into Lake Havasu City
Questions
Is Lake Havasu City cheaper than El Centro after tax and rent?
Yes. Lake Havasu City leaves about $368 more a month, so the cost of living is lower there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $1,009 in El Centro and $1,039 in Lake Havasu City.
Does Lake Havasu City have state income tax?
Lake Havasu City is in Arizona, which taxes wage income.
Did people actually move from El Centro to Lake Havasu City?
Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.