What it's like to live in La Quinta
La Quinta is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. La Quinta deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, unemployment above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How La Quinta compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to La Quinta
Based on La Quinta's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,570
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $71,400 a year
- 53% of La Quinta renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$132,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $66,160
- Homes cost 6.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 26% above US
$1,785/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,785 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $661,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $661,600 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 35% above US
5.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.8%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 53% below US
153 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1688/100k · La Quinta Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% 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
Education & workforce▲ 11% above US
40% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 40% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 24:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Joshua Tree National Park (31 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
La Quinta's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,785/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, anyone moving without a job lined up, and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near La Quinta
All California guides →Moving to Palm Desert →
8 mi away · pop. 51,990
Rent $1,778/mo · Income $77,513
Compare with La Quinta →Moving to Rancho Mirage →
11 mi away · pop. 17,563
Rent $1,510/mo · Income $107,364
Compare with La Quinta →Not sure La Quinta is the one?
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