Cathedral City vs Palm Springs
Cathedral City, California versus Palm Springs, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Cathedral City edges out Palm Springs on overall objective livability (47 vs 42 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cathedral City | Palm Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $63k | $67k |
| Cost of Living | $69k | $69k |
| Home Value | $382k | $505k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.92% | 0.82% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.78% | 22.34% |
| Unemployment | 6.2% | 8.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 58°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 93°F | 92°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 4.6 in | 5.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 333 days | 333 days |
| Summer Humidity | 56°F | 56°F |
| Comfortable Days | 137 days | 137 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 56.1 | 96.4 |
| Air Quality | 60 AQI | 61 AQI |
| School Quality | 71.6 | 71.6 |
| Violent Crime | 921/100k | 1744/100k |
| Property Crime | 2298/100k | 4956/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 51,964 | 44,935 |
| Median Age | 40.5 | 57.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.67 | 0.47 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.07 | 1.52 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 29.7% | 62.0% |
| Black (%) | 1.6% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 58.9% | 23.3% |
| Asian (%) | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.1% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 20 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 11.1/20 | 9.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 82 mi | 75 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.7% | 89.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 20.78 | 36.72 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
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 Palm Springs more affordable?
- Palm Springs has the lower cost of living: its index is $69k, compared with Cathedral City's $69k and Palm Springs's $69k. Median rent is $1k in Cathedral City versus $1k in Palm Springs.
- Is Cathedral City or Palm Springs safer?
- Cathedral City has the lower violent crime rate. Cathedral City reports 921/100k and Palm Springs reports 1744/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cathedral City or Palm Springs?
- The median home value is $382k in Cathedral City and $505k in Palm Springs, so homes are more affordable in Cathedral City.