Moving to
Rancho Mirage.

All Rancho Mirage data Compare Rancho Mirage

17,563people live here $107,364median household income▲ 33% above US $1,510median rent per monthNear US average $807,200median home value▲ 143% above US

What it's like to live in Rancho Mirage

Rancho Mirage is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Rancho Mirage deals with home prices well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce
Growing population

The not so good

High home prices
Above-average unemployment in the county
Air quality concerns
High student-teacher ratio
High rent burden for renters
Extreme summer heat

How Rancho Mirage compares

Median household income

Rancho Mirage$107,364

California avg$99,122

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Rancho Mirage$1,510

California avg$2,036

US$1,413

Median home value

Rancho Mirage$807,200

California avg$734,700

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Rancho Mirage

Based on Rancho Mirage's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,020

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $60,400 a year
54% of Rancho Mirage renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$161,440

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $80,720
Homes cost 7.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,510/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,510 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $807,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $807,200 · 54% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

5.6% county unemployment

Unemployment in Riverside County is 5.6%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Riverside County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 48% below US

170 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 1666/100k · Rancho Mirage Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

25 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 25.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 31% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

61%

Work from home

31%

Carpool

4.7%

Other

2.1%

Walk

1.1%

Public transit

0.5%

Climate

Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 107°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 48°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 35% above US

49% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 49% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

2 public schools inside the boundary

There are 2 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Joshua Tree National Park (35 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Rancho Mirage's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and county unemployment above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,510/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (31% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and people who struggle with heat.

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