Palm Desert, CA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Palm Desert, CA Summary
Cost of living in Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert is 134, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Palm Desert is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Palm Desert ranks as the #208 cheapest in California out of 634.
Palm Desert ranks as the #5,171 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Palm Desert is $546,961.
The median income in Palm Desert is $79,508.
Table Of Contents
Palm Desert's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Palm Desert, CA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Palm Desert has an overall cost of living index of 134, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Palm Desert has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Palm Desert ranks as #208 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Palm Desert ranks as the #426 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Palm Desert, check out:
In California
In America
Palm Desert Cost Of Living Vs. California
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Palm Desert. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Palm Desert is 111.
The Groceries index in Palm Desert is 117.
The Health index in Palm Desert is 106.
The Housing index in Palm Desert is 181.
The Transportation index in Palm Desert is 128.
The Utilities index in Palm Desert is 105.
| Living Expense | Palm Desert | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 134 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 111 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 117 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 106 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 181 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 128 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 105 | 128 | 100 | |
Palm Desert, 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 Palm Desert is $546,961.
The Median Rent in Palm Desert is $1,717.
The Median Income in Palm Desert is $79,508.
The Home Value To Income in Palm Desert is 6.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Palm Desert is 0.26x.
| Statistic | Palm Desert | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $546,961 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,717 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $79,508 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.9x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Palm Desert, CA Costs By Category
Detailed Palm Desert Services Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palm Desert | 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 Palm Desert Groceries Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palm Desert | 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 Palm Desert Health Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palm Desert | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $138.66 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $132.5 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $121.37 | $113.29 |
Detailed Palm Desert Transportation Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palm Desert | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.68 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.4 | $59.92 |
Detailed Palm Desert Utilities Costs Vs. California
| Item | Palm Desert | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $223.42 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
Palm Desert SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Palm Desert
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Palm Desert. 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 Palm Desert.
Palm Springs, CA has a cost of living index of 132, 1.0x Palm Desert.
Coachella, CA has a cost of living index of 116, 0.9x Palm Desert.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Palm Desert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indio, CA | 90,669 | 124 | 0.9x |
| Palm Springs, CA | 44,998 | 132 | 1.0x |
| Coachella, CA | 42,594 | 116 | 0.9x |
| 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 |
| Desert Palms, CA | 6,522 | 143 | 1.1x |
