What it's like to live in Indio
Indio is a smaller city in California with a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Indio deals with home prices well above the national average, unemployment above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Growing population
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Indio compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Indio
Based on Indio's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,874
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,480 a year
- 55% of Indio renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$91,680
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $45,840
- Homes cost 5.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,437/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,437 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 $458,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $458,400 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 44% above US
6.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 6.2%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 19% below US
266 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 758/100k · Indio Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 104°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 48°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 43% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
20 public schools inside the boundary
There are 20 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Joshua Tree National Park (26 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Indio's strongest point is a growing population; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and unemployment above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,437/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. 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 Indio
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