Residential comparison · 13 facts
Palm Desert, CA vs Palm Springs, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Palm Desert needs about $83,000 in Palm Springs to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Palm Springs, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $87,000 in Palm Desert.
A few differences
- Palm Desert is higher on median household income ($77,513 vs $73,119).
- Palm Desert is lower on cost of living index (125 vs 126).
- Palm Springs is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,734/mo vs $1,934/mo).
Palm Desert vs Palm Springs · facet by facet
| Facet | Palm Desert, CA | Palm Springs, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $542,000 | $604,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,934/mo | $1,734/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 125 | 126 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $77,513 | $73,119 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Palm Desert, CA · Palm Springs, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Palm Desert cheaper than Palm Springs?
- Palm Desert has the lower day-to-day cost index (125 vs 126 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Palm Springs equals $85,000 in Palm Desert?
- A household earning $85,000 in Palm Desert needs about $83,000 in Palm Springs to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Palm Springs lifestyle costs about $87,000 in Palm Desert.