Palm Desert city, California
CityPopulation: 51,551 (2023 estimate)
Located in California , California
Census Bureau data for Palm Desert city from the American Community Survey. "Cities" in Census data include incorporated places, towns, villages, and census-designated places (CDPs) — all places where the Census collects community-level estimates.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Palm Desert city
- What is the median household income in Palm Desert city?
- The median household income in Palm Desert city is $79,508 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Palm Desert city?
- The poverty rate in Palm Desert city is 7.7% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Palm Desert city?
- $491,600 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Palm Desert city?
- The median gross rent in Palm Desert city is $1,717 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Palm Desert city residents have a college degree?
- 39.9% of adults in Palm Desert city hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
51,551
Median Income
$79,508
Median Home Value
$491,600
Poverty Rate
7.7%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
6.1%
Median Age
56.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$19,531 (+32.6%)
Home Value:
+$141,200 (+40.3%)
Poverty Rate:
-1.3 pp (-14.4%)
Bachelor's+:
+3.1 pp (+8.4%)
Unemployment:
+0.9 pp (+17.3%)
Demographics
Total Population
51,551
Median Age
56.0
Female
52.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 26.0%
White (non-Hisp.) 64.3%
Black 2.2%
Asian 4.1%
Two or More 17.1%
Other 7.3%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Filipino
1.3%
Indian
0.6%
Chinese
0.6%
Vietnamese
0.4%
Japanese
0.4%
Korean
0.3%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
20.9%
Puerto Rican
0.5%
Cuban
0.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$79,508
±$6,862
-$16,826 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$115,090
Median Family Income
$99,925
Poverty Rate
7.7%
-0.7 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
14.2%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
9.5%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
32.9%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
5.2%
$10–15k
4.2%
$15–25k
6.8%
$25–35k
7.1%
$35–50k
11.0%
$50–75k
14.1%
$75–100k
11.4%
$100–150k
15.2%
$150–200k
10.6%
$200k+
14.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
36,584
Owner-Occupied
64.4%
Renter-Occupied
35.6%
Vacancy Rate
34.0%
Median Home Value
$491,600
-$203,800 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,717
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
32.4%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
49.1%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
3.8%
$50–100k
0.9%
$100–200k
1.3%
$200–300k
11.3%
$300–500k
31.1%
$500k–$1M
39.1%
$1M+
9.5%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
3.5%
$500–1k
10.6%
$1–1.5k
22.5%
$1.5–2k
31.0%
$2–2.5k
19.1%
$2.5–3.5k
6.3%
$3.5k+
7.0%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
4.0%
1 vehicle
50.5%
2 vehicles
32.7%
3+
12.8%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
38.2%
Single-fam. att.
29.8%
2–4 units
1.6%
5–19 units
3.7%
20+ units
7.8%
Mobile home
9.3%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
0.5%
1940–1969
0.6%
1970–1999
21.1%
2000–2009
11.9%
2010+
4.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
92.7%
Bachelor's or Higher
39.9%
+3.4 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
15.6%
Some College / Associate
26.2%
Less Than High School
2.7%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
49.3%
Unemployment Rate
6.1%
-0.3 pp vs. state
Work from Home
14.1%
Self-Employed
13.0%
Government Workers
10.1%
Private For-Profit
76.5%
Industry
Arts/Entmt.
19.7%
Edu/Health
18.8%
Prof. Services
15.0%
Retail
11.8%
Finance
7.2%
Construction
7.0%
Manufacturing
4.2%
Public Admin
3.4%
Transportation
3.2%
Wholesale
2.8%
Information
0.9%
Agriculture
0.5%
Occupation
Management
43.4%
Sales
23.0%
Food Prep
22.4%
Construction
5.8%
Production
5.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
22.4 min
Drove Alone
69.6%
Carpool
12.8%
Public Transit
0.7%
Work from Home
14.1%
Walked
1.1%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
24,145
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
44.6%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
9.3%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
2.8%
5–9
4.0%
10–14
4.3%
15–19
3.9%
20–24
4.5%
25–34
9.9%
35–44
9.8%
45–54
9.1%
55–64
5.8%
65–74
8.7%
75–84
17.0%
85+
14.7%
Under 18: 13.3%
Working age (18–64): 86.7%
65 and over: 37.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
17.4%
Naturalized Citizen
61.5%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
7.1%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
47.9%
Asia
19.4%
Europe
17.3%
Africa
1.9%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
7.4%
With a Disability
16.6%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
94.1%
Uninsured
5.9%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
90.6%
Has a Computer
96.6%
Same House 1 Year Ago
85.5%
Moved from Abroad
0.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023