Desert Palms, CA Cost Of Living

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

Cost Of Living In Desert Palms, CA Summary

Cost of living in Desert Palms 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 Palms 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 Palms is 143, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Desert Palms is 1.4x higher than the national average.

  • Desert Palms ranks as the #268 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Desert Palms ranks as the #5,499 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Desert Palms is $577,898.

  • The median income in Desert Palms is $81,954.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
143
Desert Palms's Overall Cost Of Living
1.4x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Desert Palms, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Desert Palms has an overall cost of living index of 143, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Desert Palms has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Desert Palms ranks as #268 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Desert Palms ranks as the #366 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Desert Palms, check out:

268 out of 634
In California
5,499 out of 6,489
In America

Desert Palms Cost Of Living Vs. California

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

  • The Services index in Desert Palms is 111.

  • The Groceries index in Desert Palms is 118.

  • The Health index in Desert Palms is 104.

  • The Housing index in Desert Palms is 208.

  • The Transportation index in Desert Palms is 129.

  • The Utilities index in Desert Palms is 107.

Living Expense Desert Palms California National Average
Overall 143 141 100
Services 111 110 100
Groceries 118 112 100
Health 104 110 100
Housing 208 195 100
Transportation 129 125 100
Utilities 107 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Desert Palms Cost of Living Vs. CA

Desert Palms, 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 Palms is $577,898.

  • The Median Rent in Desert Palms is $2,175.

  • The Median Income in Desert Palms is $81,954.

  • The Home Value To Income in Desert Palms is 7.1x.

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

Statistic Desert Palms California United States
Median Home Value $577,898 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $2,175 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $81,954 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 7.1x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.32x 0.24x 0.21x
$577,898
Median Home Value
$2,175
Median Rent
$81,954
Median Income

Desert Palms, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Desert Palms Services Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Palms California
Shampoo $1.5 $1.28
Movie $16.89 $12.13
Bowling $24.67 $18
Haircut $26.92 $24.26
Beauty Salon $65.77 $45.56

Detailed Desert Palms Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Palms California
Ground Beef $5.47 $5.84
Fried Chicken $3.05 $1.57
Milk $4.98 $4.67
Potatoes $4.94 $4.93
Pizza $14.69 $12.09
Beer $11.25 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.73 $3.7

Detailed Desert Palms Health Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Palms California
Optometrist $138.66 $125.68
Doctor $132.5 $135.78
Dentist $121.37 $113.29

Detailed Desert Palms Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Palms California
Gasoline $4.68 $3.46
Tire Balancing $64.4 $59.92

Detailed Desert Palms Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Desert Palms California
All Electricity $223.42 $193.99
Phone $180.31 $192.25

Desert Palms SnackAbility

7
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
9.5
Affordability
3
Diversity
4
Safety
N/A
Amenities
8.5
Education
9
Commute
9.5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Desert Palms

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

  • Indio, CA has a cost of living index of 124, 0.9x Desert Palms.

  • Palm Desert, CA has a cost of living index of 134, 0.9x Desert Palms.

  • Palm Springs, CA has a cost of living index of 132, 0.9x Desert Palms.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Desert Palms
Indio, CA 90,669 124 0.9x
Palm Desert, CA 51,551 134 0.9x
Palm Springs, CA 44,998 132 0.9x
Coachella, CA 42,594 116 0.8x
La Quinta, CA 38,299 139 1.0x
Rancho Mirage, CA 17,375 152 1.1x
Bermuda Dunes, CA 8,074 137 1.0x
Thousand Palms, CA 7,662 112 0.8x

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