Palm Desert vs Palm Springs
Palm Desert, 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.
Palm Desert and Palm Springs score about the same overall (42 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Palm Desert | Palm Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $76k | $67k |
| Cost of Living | $69k | $69k |
| Home Value | $452k | $505k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.98% | 0.82% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.05% | 22.34% |
| Unemployment | 6.5% | 8.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 57°F | 58°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 91°F | 92°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 5.0 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 | 116 days | 137 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 96.9 | 96.4 |
| Air Quality | 58 AQI | 61 AQI |
| School Quality | 65.1 | 71.6 |
| Violent Crime | 734/100k | 1744/100k |
| Property Crime | 3898/100k | 4956/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 51,290 | 44,935 |
| Median Age | 55.2 | 57.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.47 | 0.47 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.88 | 1.52 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 65.0% | 62.0% |
| Black (%) | 2.8% | 5.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 24.0% | 23.3% |
| Asian (%) | 4.3% | 5.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.9% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 8.9/20 | 9.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 85 mi | 75 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.7% | 89.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 28.47 | 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 Palm Desert or Palm Springs more affordable?
- Palm Springs has the lower cost of living: its index is $69k, compared with Palm Desert's $69k and Palm Springs's $69k. Median rent is $2k in Palm Desert versus $1k in Palm Springs.
- Is Palm Desert or Palm Springs safer?
- Palm Desert has the lower violent crime rate. Palm Desert reports 734/100k and Palm Springs reports 1744/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Palm Desert or Palm Springs?
- The median home value is $452k in Palm Desert and $505k in Palm Springs, so homes are more affordable in Palm Desert.