Palm Desert, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

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 130, 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 #272 cheapest in California out of 635.

  • Palm Desert ranks as the #5,259 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Palm Desert is $381,700.

  • The median income in Palm Desert is $67,514.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
130
Palm Desert's Overall Cost Of Living
1.3x
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 130, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Palm Desert has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than California's index of 139.

The standard of living in Palm Desert ranks as #272 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Palm Desert ranks as the #363 most expensive place in the Golden State.

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

272 out of 635
In California
5,259 out of 6,412
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 113.

  • The Groceries index in Palm Desert is 112.

  • The Health index in Palm Desert is 107.

  • The Housing index in Palm Desert is 157.

  • The Transportation index in Palm Desert is 135.

  • The Utilities index in Palm Desert is 127.

Living Expense Palm Desert California National Average
Overall 130 139 100
Services 113 110 100
Groceries 112 112 100
Health 107 109 100
Housing 157 204 100
Transportation 135 126 100
Utilities 127 124 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Palm Desert Cost of Living Vs. CA

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 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Palm Desert is $381,700.

  • The Median Rent in Palm Desert is $1,402.

  • The Median Income in Palm Desert is $67,514.

  • The Home Value To Income in Palm Desert is 5.7x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Palm Desert is 0.25x.

Statistic Palm Desert California United States
Median Home Value $381,700 $573,200 $244,900
Median Rent $1,402 $1,698 $1,163
Median Income $67,514 $84,097 $69,021
Home Value To Income 5.7x 6.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.25x 0.24x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Palm Desert, CA
$381,700
Median Home Value
$1,402
Median Rent
$67,514
Median Income

Palm Desert, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Palm Desert Services Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Desert California
Shampoo $1.2 $1.06
Movie $14.42 $10.68
Bowling $22.0 $14.67
Haircut $22.68 $18.62
Beauty Salon $64.57 $39.05

Detailed Palm Desert Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Desert California
Ground Beef $4.58 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.72 $1.39
Milk $2.19 $2.05
Potatoes $2.99 $3.29
Pizza $11.43 $10.62
Beer $9.82 $9.38
Toothpaste $2.48 $2.34

Detailed Palm Desert Health Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Desert California
Optometrist $117.65 $108.57
Doctor $125.0 $116.17
Dentist $107.18 $99.13

Detailed Palm Desert Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Desert California
Gasoline $3.24 $2.22
Tire Balancing $56.47 $50.07

Detailed Palm Desert Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Palm Desert California
All Electricity $247.56 $167.67
Phone $176.01 $175.64

Palm Desert SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
9
Affordability
4
Diversity
8.5
Safety
5
Amenities
9
Education
8.5
Commute
8.5

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 119, 0.9x Palm Desert.

  • Palm Springs, CA has a cost of living index of 124, 1.0x Palm Desert.

  • Coachella, CA has a cost of living index of 109, 0.8x Palm Desert.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Palm Desert
Indio, CA 88,542 119 0.9x
Palm Springs, CA 44,799 124 1.0x
Coachella, CA 42,123 109 0.8x
La Quinta, CA 37,846 134 1.0x
Rancho Mirage, CA 17,129 148 1.1x
Thousand Palms, CA 8,052 109 0.8x
Bermuda Dunes, CA 6,862 127 1.0x
Desert Palms, CA 6,225 141 1.1x

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