Palm Desert, California
Among the top 1% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 2% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 100% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 4% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 79% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 43% of US places
- top 1% for sunny days
- top 6% for annual snowfall
- bottom 2% for air quality
Palm Desert is a mid-size city in California with about 51,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include sunny days, annual snowfall, and comfortable days. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and air quality.
Official websitepalmdesert.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Sweltering, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
hot
sweltering
hot
warm
comf.
95%80%clearovercast
Precipitation 0.9 in0.3 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$76k68th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$69kbetter than 6% of US places
Home Value$452k89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 15% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 11% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.98%better than 51% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden22.05%better than 2% of US places
Unemployment6.5%better than 28% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)57°F96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)91°F99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation5.0 in0th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days333 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Summer Humidity56°Fbetter than 82% of US places
Comfortable Days116 daysbetter than 93% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk96.9better than 2% of US places
Air Quality58 AQIbetter than 2% of US places
School Quality65.1better than 60% of US places
Violent Crime734/100kbetter than 50% of US places
Property Crime3898/100kbetter than 3% of US places
Community
Population51,29097th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age55.287th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4781st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.8828th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningEven23rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)65.0%26th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.8%70th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)24.0%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)4.3%89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.9%61st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time22 minbetter than 73% of US places
Walkability8.9/20better than 81% of US places
Airport Distance85 mibetter than 46% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access89.7%better than 63% of US places
Amenities Nearby28.47better than 27% of US places
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 54% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Palm Desert an affordable place to live?
- Palm Desert is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $69k, better than 6% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Palm Desert?
- The median home value in Palm Desert is $452k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Palm Desert?
- Median household income in Palm Desert is $76k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Palm Desert?
- Median gross rent in Palm Desert is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Palm Desert safe?
- Palm Desert is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 734/100k (better than 50%). Property crime is 3898/100k.
- What is the weather like in Palm Desert?
- Palm Desert averages 91°F in July and 57°F in January, with 5.0 in of annual precipitation and about 333 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Palm Desert?
- Public-school quality in Palm Desert is about average, scoring better than 60% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Palm Desert?
- The average one-way commute in Palm Desert is 22 min.
Other places in Riverside County
Places near Palm Desert
Compare Palm Desert
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)