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Cathedral City vs Desert Hot Springs

Cathedral City, California versus Desert Hot Springs, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Cathedral City

Mixed · objective livability47/100

Desert Hot Springs

Mixed · objective livability43/100

Cathedral City edges out Desert Hot Springs on overall objective livability (47 vs 43 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorCathedral CityDesert Hot Springs
Affordability
Median Household Income$63k$46k
Cost of Living$69k$69k
Home Value$382k$277k
Monthly Rent$1k$1k
Monthly Owner Costs$2k$2k
Property Tax Rate0.92%1.04%
Income Tax13.30%13.30%
Sales Tax8.85%8.85%
Estimated total tax burden21.78%22.47%
Unemployment6.2%7.4%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)58°F57°F
Summer Temp (Jul)93°F91°F
Annual Precipitation4.6 in5.1 in
Annual Snowfall0.0 in0.0 in
Sunny Days333 days333 days
Summer Humidity56°F56°F
Comfortable Days137 days136 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk56.190.9
Air Quality60 AQI61 AQI
School Quality71.671.6
Violent Crime921/100k1139/100k
Property Crime2298/100k1540/100k
Community
Population51,96432,386
Median Age40.534.2
Racial Diversity0.670.71
Male/Female Ratio1.070.96
Political LeaningEvenEven
White (%)29.7%24.4%
Black (%)1.6%8.6%
Hispanic (%)58.9%61.1%
Asian (%)6.6%2.4%
Other / Multiracial (%)3.1%3.4%
Getting Around
Commute Time20 min28 min
Walkability11.1/2011.5/20
Airport Distance82 mi78 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access89.7%86.4%
Amenities Nearby20.786.79
Park & Nature AccessGoodExcellent

Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cathedral City or Desert Hot Springs more affordable?
Desert Hot Springs has the lower cost of living: its index is $69k, compared with Cathedral City's $69k and Desert Hot Springs's $69k. Median rent is $1k in Cathedral City versus $1k in Desert Hot Springs.
Is Cathedral City or Desert Hot Springs safer?
Cathedral City has the lower violent crime rate. Cathedral City reports 921/100k and Desert Hot Springs reports 1139/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Cathedral City or Desert Hot Springs?
The median home value is $382k in Cathedral City and $277k in Desert Hot Springs, so homes are more affordable in Desert Hot Springs.
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