Desert Hot Springs vs Palm Springs
Desert Hot Springs, 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.
Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs 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 Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $46k | $67k |
| Cost of Living | $69k | $69k |
| Home Value | $277k | $505k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.04% | 0.82% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.47% | 22.34% |
| Unemployment | 7.4% | 8.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 91°F | 92°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 5.1 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 | 136 days | 137 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 90.9 | 96.4 |
| Air Quality | 61 AQI | 61 AQI |
| School Quality | 71.6 | 71.6 |
| Violent Crime | 1139/100k | 1744/100k |
| Property Crime | 1540/100k | 4956/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 32,386 | 44,935 |
| Median Age | 34.2 | 57.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.71 | 0.47 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 1.52 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 24.4% | 62.0% |
| Black (%) | 8.6% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 61.1% | 23.3% |
| Asian (%) | 2.4% | 5.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.4% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 28 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 11.5/20 | 9.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 78 mi | 75 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.4% | 89.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 6.79 | 36.72 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | 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 Desert Hot Springs or Palm Springs more affordable?
- Palm Springs has the lower cost of living: its index is $69k, compared with Desert Hot Springs's $69k and Palm Springs's $69k. Median rent is $1k in Desert Hot Springs versus $1k in Palm Springs.
- Is Desert Hot Springs or Palm Springs safer?
- Desert Hot Springs has the lower violent crime rate. Desert Hot Springs reports 1139/100k and Palm Springs reports 1744/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Desert Hot Springs or Palm Springs?
- The median home value is $277k in Desert Hot Springs and $505k in Palm Springs, so homes are more affordable in Desert Hot Springs.