Palm Desert, CA
Census place 0655184 · pop 51,990
A Coachella Valley resort city home to the upscale El Paseo shopping district and The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
147 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
87 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
5.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,651/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2835 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$542,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
324 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
91.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
11.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
65.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$77,513 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
24.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.86% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
33.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
40.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
9.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
14.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
Frequently asked
- Is Palm Desert, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Palm Desert scores 36/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is poor mental health and its weakest is unhealthy air days. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Palm Desert, CA?
- Palm Desert reports 324 violent crimes per 100k and 2835 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Palm Desert, CA expensive to live in?
- Palm Desert has a median home value of $542,000 and typical rent around $2,651/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Palm Desert, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is unhealthy air days (147 days) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Palm Desert, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is poor mental health (14.3%) — 85/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: A Coachella Valley resort city home to the upscale El Paseo shopping district and The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.