Desert Hot Springs vs Palm Desert
Desert Hot Springs, California versus Palm Desert, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Desert Hot Springs and Palm Desert score about the same overall (43 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Desert Hot Springs | Palm Desert |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $46k | $76k |
| Cost of Living | $69k | $69k |
| Home Value | $277k | $452k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.04% | 0.98% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.47% | 22.05% |
| Unemployment | 7.4% | 6.5% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 57°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 91°F | 91°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 5.1 in | 5.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 333 days | 333 days |
| Summer Humidity | 56°F | 56°F |
| Comfortable Days | 136 days | 116 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 90.9 | 96.9 |
| Air Quality | 61 AQI | 58 AQI |
| School Quality | 71.6 | 65.1 |
| Violent Crime | 1139/100k | 734/100k |
| Property Crime | 1540/100k | 3898/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 32,386 | 51,290 |
| Median Age | 34.2 | 55.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.71 | 0.47 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.88 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 24.4% | 65.0% |
| Black (%) | 8.6% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 61.1% | 24.0% |
| Asian (%) | 2.4% | 4.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 11.5/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 78 mi | 85 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.4% | 89.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 6.79 | 28.47 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
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 Desert Hot Springs or Palm Desert more affordable?
- Palm Desert has the lower cost of living: its index is $69k, compared with Desert Hot Springs's $69k and Palm Desert's $69k. Median rent is $1k in Desert Hot Springs versus $2k in Palm Desert.
- Is Desert Hot Springs or Palm Desert safer?
- Palm Desert has the lower violent crime rate. Desert Hot Springs reports 1139/100k and Palm Desert reports 734/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Desert Hot Springs or Palm Desert?
- The median home value is $277k in Desert Hot Springs and $452k in Palm Desert, so homes are more affordable in Desert Hot Springs.