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Living in
La Quinta.
About
Life in La Quinta
Living in La Quinta means embracing intense desert heat as a permanent feature of daily life—summers routinely exceed 108°F and occasionally hit 120°F, though winters stay comfortably warm with daytime highs in the 68-86°F range. The job market is heavily weighted toward tourism and service work in hospitality, golf, and retail, which keeps the median household income solid at nearly $98,000, but also means fewer corporate or tech opportunities unless you're willing to commute 26+ minutes to neighboring areas. The community itself is genuinely diverse, with a large Latino population (especially Mexican-American families), Armenians, Bosnians, and many other groups who've settled here since the 1990s-2000s seeking affordable housing and employment.
La Quinta at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
53.3 yrs
Poverty Rate
8.8%
Foreign-Born
15.1%
Broadband Internet
94.5%
of households
Population Growth
+4.5%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics15.1% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in La Quinta: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In La Quinta, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (47.2%), and 22.7% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
16.5%
of residents
65 and Older
31.6%
of residents
Households with Kids
19.9%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
25.8%
of households
Married Couples
57.2%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.42
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 12% below CA average
Rent, home values, and income in La Quinta
In La Quinta, rent runs 12% below the CA average, and home values are 10% below the CA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
52.6%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
27.3%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
106.4
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$5,636
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
75.7%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1999
median year built
Vacant Homes
35.6%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $738,846 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment about average for CA
Unemployment in La Quinta and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in La Quinta is close to the CA average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What La Quinta Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area
Commute25.6 min avg
How La Quinta residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In La Quinta, most residents drive alone to work (72%), and 71% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 16 mi
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)
Small hub1.7M passengers boarded in 2025
- 79 mi
Ontario International Airport (ONT)
Medium hub3.5M passengers boarded in 2025
- 83 mi
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
Major hub12.7M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 53% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in La Quinta runs 53% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
153.2
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,687.8
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
La Quinta Police Department
Natural DisastersHigh Wind most common — 34 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Very High
99.9 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Riverside County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Riverside County, which includes La Quinta, the most common type is high wind, with 34 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | High Wind | $161,000 |
| 2024 | 62 | High Wind | $527,000 |
| 2023 | 76 | High Wind | $455,000 |
| 2022 | 113 | High Wind | $240,000 |
| 2021 | 94 | High Wind | $4.2M |
| 2020 | 58 | Excessive Heat | $2.1M |
| 2019 | 62 | Excessive Heat | $112.2M |
| 2018 | 58 | High Wind | $1.6M |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
203 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Riverside County, county-wide
La Quinta is about 2% of Riverside County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Air Quality80 median AQI — Moderate
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Riverside County, which includes La Quinta, is typically moderate — acceptable for most people, but can affect those unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Median AQI
80
Good Days
39
per year
Moderate Days
217
per year
Unhealthy Days
34
per year
Riverside County, county-wide
La Quinta is about 2% of Riverside County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate104°F summers, 48°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
La Quinta has hot summers (avg high 104°F) and warm winters (avg low 48°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
86°/63°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
104°/81°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
90°/65°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
71°/48°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
2.9"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
184
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
1
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
11
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°F | 47°F | 0.65" |
| Feb | 73°F | 51°F | 0.59" |
| Mar | 80°F | 57°F | 0.32" |
| Apr | 86°F | 63°F | 0.07" |
| May | 93°F | 69°F | 0.02" |
| Jun | 102°F | 77°F | 0.00" |
| Jul | 106°F | 83°F | 0.05" |
| Aug | 105°F | 83°F | 0.26" |
| Sep | 101°F | 77°F | 0.13" |
| Oct | 91°F | 66°F | 0.15" |
| Nov | 78°F | 53°F | 0.19" |
| Dec | 69°F | 45°F | 0.49" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in La Quinta
Uninsured
5.3%
of residents
No hospitals inside La Quinta's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
John F Kennedy Memorial Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 4.4 mi away · Indio
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education23.6:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in La Quinta
La Quinta's student/teacher ratio is 23.6:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 40.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
8
within city limits
Private Schools
1
within city limits
College Degree Rate
40.0%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
23.6:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near La Quinta (within 15 miles)
California Indian Nations College
9.4 mi awayPublic · 2-year · 142 students · in-state tuition $7,680
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Joshua Tree National Park, 31 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for La Quinta
La Quinta has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Joshua Tree National Park (31 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Joshua Tree National Park
National Park
31 mi awayJuan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
National Historic Trail
56 mi awayCabrillo National Monument
National Monument
88 mi awayPublic Libraries in La Quinta
La Quinta Branch Library
78-225 Calle Tampico, La Quinta
Cities Near La Quinta
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to La Quinta?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
La Quinta FAQ
Is La Quinta, California affordable?⌄
La Quinta's median rent is $1,785/month, which is above the national average. The median household income is $99,250/year. Median home value is $661,600.
Is La Quinta, California safe?⌄
La Quinta's violent crime rate was 153 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1688 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in La Quinta, California?⌄
La Quinta has an unemployment rate of 5.8%, which is above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in La Quinta, California?⌄
The cost of living in La Quinta is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,785/month and median household income is $99,250/year. The median home value is $661,600. About 53% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in La Quinta, California?⌄
The average commute in La Quinta is 26 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from