The Town FilesPalmdale, California
City in Los Angeles County · population 169,450 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $471,000
- Household income
- $81,770
- Jan low / Jul high
- 35° / 98°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 33.0
Palmdale is a city of 169,450 people in Los Angeles County, California. The median home is worth $471,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 92% of California towns, more of a college town than 74% of California towns, more vibrant than 71% of California towns.
How Palmdale 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 Palmdale is worth $471,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.8 times the median household income of $81,770, which is more affordable than 61% of California towns. Median rent is $1,802 a month. 66.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Palmdale | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $471,000 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,802 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $81,770 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.8× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 66.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1989 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.2% | — |
Who lives in Palmdale
| People | Palmdale | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.1% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 29.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.1% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 15.7% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 25.4% | — |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 39.9 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Palmdale
July highs average 97.6°F and January lows 34.7°F. About 7.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 118 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 38 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Palmdale since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on September 1, 2007 about 4.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 1, 2007.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 7 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 22, 1984.
Severe weather in Los Angeles County since 1996
Los Angeles County has been included in 88 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 8, 2025 | Fire | FM-5605: Canyon Fire |
| January 8, 2025 | Fire | DR-4856: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| January 8, 2025 | Fire | FM-5550: Eaton Fire |
| January 8, 2025 | Fire | FM-5551: Hurst Fire |
| January 7, 2025 | Fire | FM-5549: Palisades Fire |
Jobs and pay in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County had 4,525,711 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $83,554 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Palmdale itself the ACS puts it at 8.3%.
Public schools in Palmdale
44 public schools with 35,614 students, about 24.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland High | 9-12 | 2,778 | 25.3 |
| William J. (Pete) Knight High | 9-12 | 2,520 | 22.1 |
| Palmdale High | 9-12 | 2,358 | 22.7 |
| Palmdale Aerospace Academy (charter) | K-12 | 2,213 | 25.1 |
| Antelope Valley Learning Academy (charter) | K-12 | 1,057 | 29.4 |
| Hillview Middle | 6-8 | 1,029 | 24.5 |
| Los Amigos - Dual Immersion | K-8 | 1,025 | 27.0 |
| Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad | 6-8 | 1,020 | 24.9 |
| David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet Academy | 6-8 | 1,006 | 21.9 |
| Esperanza Elementary | K-6 | 990 | 25.4 |
| Rancho Vista Elementary | K-6 | 907 | 27.5 |
| Gregg Anderson Academy | K-6 | 904 | 26.6 |
Towns near Palmdale
- Desert View Highlands, CA2.7 mi · 2,676 people · home $360,400
- Quartz Hill, CA7.6 mi · 11,447 people · home $485,300
- Acton, CA7.9 mi · 7,431 people · home $733,400
- Lancaster, CA8.1 mi · 173,516 people · home $446,600
- Sun Village, CA8.7 mi · 12,345 people · home $384,700
- Agua Dulce, CA13.7 mi · 3,451 people · home $933,400
- Lake Los Angeles, CA15.7 mi · 13,187 people · home $322,300
- Rosamond, CA20.0 mi · 20,961 people · home $352,600
Palmdale questions
Is Palmdale, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Palmdale scores better for retirees than 10% of California towns and quieter than 15%. 11.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.0).
How much does a house cost in Palmdale?
The median owner-occupied home in Palmdale is valued at $471,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $81,770, so homes cost about 5.8 times income. Median rent is $1,802 a month.
What is the weather like in Palmdale?
July highs average 97.6°F and January lows 34.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 7.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Palmdale get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Palmdale since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on September 1, 2007. The typical California town has had 2.
- 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)