What it's like to live in Coachella
Coachella is a small city in California with rent below the national average and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Coachella deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Growing population
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Coachella compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Coachella
Based on Coachella's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,288
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,760 a year
- 51% of Coachella renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$73,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,760
- Homes cost 5.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 19% below US
$1,144/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,144 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $367,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $367,600 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 119% above US
9.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 9.4%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 15% below US
281 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1405/100k · Coachella Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 11% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 105°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 79% below US
8% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Joshua Tree National Park (23 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Coachella's strongest points are rent below the national average and a growing population; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,144/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up, anyone who doesn't drive, and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Coachella
All California guides →Moving to Palm Desert →
13 mi away · pop. 51,990
Rent $1,778/mo · Income $77,513
Compare with Coachella →Moving to Rancho Mirage →
17 mi away · pop. 17,563
Rent $1,510/mo · Income $107,364
Compare with Coachella →Not sure Coachella is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.