Twentynine Palms, CA
Census place 0680994 · pop 27,355
Gateway to Joshua Tree National Park and home to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, the largest Marine Corps base in the world.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
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 1 days · worse than most cities
144 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 17.4% · worse than most cities
22.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
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 67.2% · worse than most cities
38.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.8% 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 152/100k · worse than most cities
418 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$62,554 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
14.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
26.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
13.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$268,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.41 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
794 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
21.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
31.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.68% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,385/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
96.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
16 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Frequently asked
- Is Twentynine Palms, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Twentynine Palms scores 42/100 — 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 commute time and its weakest is air quality (aqi). 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 Twentynine Palms, CA?
- Twentynine Palms reports 418 violent crimes per 100k and 794 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Twentynine Palms, CA expensive to live in?
- Twentynine Palms has a median home value of $268,200 and typical rent around $1,385/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Twentynine Palms, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is air quality (aqi) (87 AQI) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Twentynine Palms, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (16 min) — 94/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Gateway to Joshua Tree National Park and home to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, the largest Marine Corps base in the world.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.