The Town FilesPalm Desert, California
City in Riverside County · population 51,163 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $542,000
- Household income
- $77,513
- Jan low / Jul high
- 47° / 106°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 57.5
Palm Desert is a city of 51,163 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $542,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 91% of California towns, hipper than 87% of California towns, more vibrant than 74% of California towns.
How Palm Desert ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Palm Desert is worth $542,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.0 times the median household income of $77,513, which is more affordable than 41% of California towns. Median rent is $1,778 a month. 65.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Palm Desert | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $542,000 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,778 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $77,513 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.0× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 65.0% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1985 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 27.0% | — |
Who lives in Palm Desert
| People | Palm Desert | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 37.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 12.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 6.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 17.5% | — |
| Work from home | 14.9% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 21.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Palm Desert
July highs average 105.8°F and January lows 46.8°F. About 2.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 184 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Palm Desert since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on July 14, 2024.
Severe weather in Riverside County since 1996
Riverside County has been included in 66 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2026 | Fire | FM-5636: Bain Fire |
| September 11, 2024 | Fire | FM-5538: Airport Fire |
| July 21, 2024 | Fire | FM-5515: Hawarden Fire |
| November 21, 2023 | Hurricane | DR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Riverside County
Riverside County had 840,433 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,734 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Palm Desert itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.
Public schools in Palm Desert
6 public schools with 6,112 students, about 25.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Desert High | 9-12 | 2,039 | 26.1 |
| Palm Desert Charter Middle (charter) | 6-8 | 1,389 | 28.3 |
| Ronald Reagan Elementary | K-5 | 818 | 24.1 |
| George Washington Charter (charter) | K-5 | 756 | 25.2 |
| Abraham Lincoln Elementary | K-5 | 593 | 23.7 |
| James Earl Carter Elementary | K-5 | 517 | 22.5 |
Towns near Palm Desert
- Indian Wells, CA3.3 mi · 4,757 people · home $1,078,200
- Rancho Mirage, CA4.2 mi · 16,999 people · home $807,200
- Bermuda Dunes, CA4.4 mi · 8,244 people · home $596,300
- Desert Palms, CA4.8 mi · 6,686 people · home $567,400
- Thousand Palms, CA5.4 mi · 7,967 people · home $268,700
- Indio, CA7.4 mi · 89,137 people · home $458,400
- La Quinta, CA8.4 mi · 37,558 people · home $661,600
- Cathedral City, CA8.8 mi · 51,493 people · home $453,100
Palm Desert questions
Is Palm Desert, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Palm Desert scores better for retirees than 65% of California towns and quieter than 59%. 37.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 57.5).
How much does a house cost in Palm Desert?
The median owner-occupied home in Palm Desert is valued at $542,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $77,513, so homes cost about 7.0 times income. Median rent is $1,778 a month.
What is the weather like in Palm Desert?
July highs average 105.8°F and January lows 46.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 2.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Palm Desert get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Palm Desert in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)