What it's like to live in Desert Hot Springs
Desert Hot Springs is a small city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Desert Hot Springs deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
How Desert Hot Springs compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Desert Hot Springs
Based on Desert Hot Springs's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,824
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $56,480 a year
- 61% of Desert Hot Springs renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$70,960
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $35,480
- Homes cost 6.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,412/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,412 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $354,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $354,800 · 61% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 42% above US
6.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 6.1%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 46% above US
482 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1042/100k · Desert Hot Springs Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 106°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 47°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 54% below US
17% 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
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 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 Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (39 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Desert Hot Springs's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,412/mo) equals 32% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and people who struggle with heat.
See all the data for Desert Hot Springs →·All California cities →
Other places near Desert Hot Springs
All California guides →Moving to Cathedral City →
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Rent $1,601/mo · Income $73,572
Compare with Desert Hot Springs →Moving to Palm Springs →
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Compare with Desert Hot Springs →Moving to Yucca Valley →
14 mi away · pop. 21,770
Rent $1,428/mo · Income $59,563
Compare with Desert Hot Springs →Moving to Rancho Mirage →
15 mi away · pop. 17,563
Rent $1,510/mo · Income $107,364
Compare with Desert Hot Springs →Not sure Desert Hot Springs is the one?
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