Desert Hot Springs, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Desert Hot Springs, CA Summary

Cost of living in Desert Hot Springs research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Desert Hot Springs is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Desert Hot Springs is 113, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Desert Hot Springs is 1.1x higher than the national average.

  • Desert Hot Springs ranks as the #71 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Desert Hot Springs ranks as the #3,948 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Desert Hot Springs is $378,157.

  • The median income in Desert Hot Springs is $50,349.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
113
Desert Hot Springs's Overall Cost Of Living
1.1x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Desert Hot Springs, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Desert Hot Springs has an overall cost of living index of 113, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Desert Hot Springs has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Desert Hot Springs ranks as #71 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Desert Hot Springs ranks as the #563 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Desert Hot Springs, check out:

71 out of 634
In California
3,948 out of 6,489
In America

Desert Hot Springs Cost Of Living Vs. California

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Desert Hot Springs. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Desert Hot Springs is 111.

  • The Groceries index in Desert Hot Springs is 111.

  • The Health index in Desert Hot Springs is 100.

  • The Housing index in Desert Hot Springs is 115.

  • The Transportation index in Desert Hot Springs is 126.

  • The Utilities index in Desert Hot Springs is 92.

Living Expense Desert Hot Springs California National Average
Overall 113 141 100
Services 111 110 100
Groceries 111 112 100
Health 100 110 100
Housing 115 195 100
Transportation 126 125 100
Utilities 92 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Desert Hot Springs Cost of Living Vs. CA

Desert Hot Springs, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Desert Hot Springs is $378,157.

  • The Median Rent in Desert Hot Springs is $1,339.

  • The Median Income in Desert Hot Springs is $50,349.

  • The Home Value To Income in Desert Hot Springs is 7.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Desert Hot Springs is 0.32x.

Statistic Desert Hot Springs California United States
Median Home Value $378,157 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $1,339 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $50,349 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 7.5x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.32x 0.24x 0.21x
$378,157
Median Home Value
$1,339
Median Rent
$50,349
Median Income

Desert Hot Springs, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Desert Hot Springs Services Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Hot Springs California
Shampoo $1.34 $1.28
Movie $11.04 $12.13
Bowling $21.11 $18
Haircut $27.27 $24.26
Beauty Salon $41.78 $45.56

Detailed Desert Hot Springs Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Hot Springs California
Ground Beef $5.89 $5.84
Fried Chicken $3.49 $1.57
Milk $4.92 $4.67
Potatoes $4.92 $4.93
Pizza $15.31 $12.09
Beer $10.26 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.61 $3.7

Detailed Desert Hot Springs Health Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Hot Springs California
Optometrist $112.92 $125.68
Doctor $95.5 $135.78
Dentist $117.28 $113.29

Detailed Desert Hot Springs Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Hot Springs California
Gasoline $4.75 $3.46
Tire Balancing $61.38 $59.92

Detailed Desert Hot Springs Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Hot Springs California
All Electricity $378.97 $193.99
Phone $180.31 $192.25

Desert Hot Springs SnackAbility

3
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
4/10
Housing
8
Affordability
3
Diversity
9
Safety
5
Amenities
8
Education
4
Commute
6

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Desert Hot Springs

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Desert Hot Springs. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Palm Desert, CA has a cost of living index of 134, 1.2x Desert Hot Springs.

  • Palm Springs, CA has a cost of living index of 132, 1.2x Desert Hot Springs.

  • Yucca Valley, CA has a cost of living index of 110, 1.0x Desert Hot Springs.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Desert Hot Springs
Palm Desert, CA 51,551 134 1.2x
Palm Springs, CA 44,998 132 1.2x
Yucca Valley, CA 21,744 110 1.0x
Rancho Mirage, CA 17,375 152 1.3x
Thousand Palms, CA 7,662 112 1.0x
Garnet, CA 6,979 112 1.0x
Joshua Tree, CA 6,767 105 0.9x
Desert Palms, CA 6,522 143 1.3x

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