What it's like to live in Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a small city in Florida with home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Palm Springs deals with rent well above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Very rainy — 62" of rain per year
How Palm Springs compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Palm Springs
Based on Palm Springs's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,338
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,760 a year
- 58% of Palm Springs renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$53,960
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,980
- Homes cost 4.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 18% above US
$1,669/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,669 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $269,800. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $269,800 · 58% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 21% below US
3.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 183% above US
1132 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3080/100k · Palm Springs Police Department · 2020 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26 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; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 60°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 51% below US
18% 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 and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Big Cypress National Preserve (76 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Palm Springs's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,669/mo) equals 32% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers.
Other places near Palm Springs
All Florida guides →Moving to Greenacres →
3 mi away · pop. 44,373
Rent $1,756/mo · Income $70,491
Compare with Palm Springs →Moving to Lake Worth Beach →
3 mi away · pop. 43,365
Rent $1,545/mo · Income $61,200
Compare with Palm Springs →Moving to Lantana →
4 mi away · pop. 12,256
Rent $1,758/mo · Income $70,012
Compare with Palm Springs →Moving to Boynton Beach →
7 mi away · pop. 81,435
Rent $2,041/mo · Income $70,074
Compare with Palm Springs →Not sure Palm Springs is the one?
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