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Living in
Palm Desert.
About
Life in Palm Desert
If you're considering Palm Desert, understand that you're moving to a resort and retirement-oriented community in one of California's hottest desert locations. The city has grown rapidly since the 1980s and attracts retirees, golf enthusiasts, and seasonal visitors, but your actual quality of life here depends heavily on whether you can handle the climate and lifestyle trade-offs. Summers are brutally hot—temperatures regularly exceed 108°F and can reach 120°F or higher—which means you'll spend significant time indoors or near pools from June through September.
Palm Desert at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
57.5 yrs
Poverty Rate
11.0%
Foreign-Born
17.5%
Broadband Internet
91.3%
of households
Population Growth
+4.1%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics17.5% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Palm Desert: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Palm Desert, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (36.2%), and 16.8% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
12.8%
of residents
65 and Older
37.7%
of residents
Households with Kids
16.0%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
35.7%
of households
Married Couples
43.4%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.08
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 13% below CA average
Rent, home values, and income in Palm Desert
In Palm Desert, rent runs 13% below the CA average, and home values are 26% below the CA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
60.8%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
31.4%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
106.4
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$4,660
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
65.0%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1985
median year built
Vacant Homes
33.3%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $538,400 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.6 pts above CA average
Unemployment in Palm Desert and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Palm Desert is 0.6 percentage points higher than the CA average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Palm Desert 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
Commute21 min avg
How Palm Desert residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Palm Desert, most residents drive alone to work (69%), and 82% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 10 mi
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)
Small hub1.7M passengers boarded in 2025
- 73 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 58% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Palm Desert runs 58% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
137.9
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
2,095.2
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert, 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.
201 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Riverside County, county-wide
Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert, 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
Palm Desert 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
Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert
Uninsured
5.5%
of residents
No hospitals inside Palm Desert's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
John F Kennedy Memorial Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 8.1 mi away · Indio
Desert Regional Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 12.3 mi away · Palm Springs
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.
Education25.6:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Palm Desert
Palm Desert's student/teacher ratio is 25.6:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 40.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
6
within city limits
Private Schools
5
within city limits
College Degree Rate
40.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
25.6:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Palm Desert
California Indian Nations College
Public · 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, 33 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Palm Desert
Palm Desert has 3 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Joshua Tree National Park (33 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Joshua Tree National Park
National Park
33 mi awayJuan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
National Historic Trail
50 mi awayCabrillo National Monument
National Monument
89 mi awayPublic Libraries in Palm Desert
Palm Desert Branch Library
73-300 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert
Cities Near Palm Desert
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Palm Desert?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Palm Desert FAQ
Is Palm Desert, California affordable?⌄
Palm Desert's median rent is $1,778/month, which is above the national average. The median household income is $77,513/year. Median home value is $542,000.
Is Palm Desert, California safe?⌄
Palm Desert's violent crime rate was 138 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 2095 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Palm Desert, California?⌄
Palm Desert has an unemployment rate of 6.1%, which is above the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Palm Desert, California?⌄
The cost of living in Palm Desert is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $1,778/month and median household income is $77,513/year. The median home value is $542,000. About 61% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Palm Desert, California?⌄
The average commute in Palm Desert is 21 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