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.
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:
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 | |
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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Item | Desert Hot Springs | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $112.92 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $95.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $117.28 | $113.29 |
| Item | Desert Hot Springs | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.75 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $61.38 | $59.92 |
| Item | Desert Hot Springs | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $378.97 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
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 |