The Town FilesDesert Hot Springs, California
City in Riverside County · population 32,512 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $354,800
- Household income
- $52,761
- Jan low / Jul high
- 41° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 34.5
Desert Hot Springs is a city of 32,512 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $354,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 98% of California towns, easier by car than 85% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 84% of California towns.
How Desert Hot Springs ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Desert Hot Springs is worth $354,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.7 times the median household income of $52,761, which is more affordable than 45% of California towns. Median rent is $1,412 a month. 50.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Desert Hot Springs | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $354,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,412 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $52,761 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 50.7% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1990 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 4.8% | — |
Who lives in Desert Hot Springs
| People | Desert Hot Springs | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 27.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 18.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 25.1% | — |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.5 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Desert Hot Springs
July highs average 93.8°F and January lows 40.7°F. About 9.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 91 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 13 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Desert Hot Springs since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on September 5, 1991.
Severe weather in Riverside County since 1996
Riverside County has been included in 66 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2026 | Fire | FM-5636: Bain Fire |
| September 11, 2024 | Fire | FM-5538: Airport Fire |
| July 21, 2024 | Fire | FM-5515: Hawarden Fire |
| November 21, 2023 | Hurricane | DR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Riverside County
Riverside County had 840,433 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,734 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Desert Hot Springs itself the ACS puts it at 6.6%.
Public schools in Desert Hot Springs
8 public schools with 6,353 students, about 20.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Hot Springs High | 9-12 | 1,718 | 19.7 |
| Bella Vista Elementary | K-5 | 756 | 21.6 |
| Painted Hills Middle | 6-8 | 744 | 21.3 |
| Desert Springs Middle | 6-8 | 740 | 22.4 |
| Two Bunch Palms Elementary | K-5 | 697 | 19.9 |
| Cabot Yerxa Elementary | K-5 | 673 | 21.7 |
| Bubbling Wells Elementary | K-5 | 637 | 20.5 |
| Julius Corsini Elementary | K-5 | 388 | 19.4 |
Towns near Desert Hot Springs
- Garnet, CA4.5 mi · 7,118 people · home $267,900
- Desert Edge, CA6.3 mi · 4,180 people · home $76,300
- Morongo Valley, CA8.0 mi · 3,514 people · home $285,400
- Cathedral City, CA9.6 mi · 51,493 people · home $453,100
- Palm Springs, CA10.7 mi · 44,575 people · home $604,000
- Yucca Valley, CA13.4 mi · 21,738 people · home $363,400
- Cabazon, CA14.1 mi · 2,629 people · home $270,400
- Thousand Palms, CA14.6 mi · 7,967 people · home $268,700
Desert Hot Springs questions
Is Desert Hot Springs, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Desert Hot Springs scores better for retirees than 19% of California towns and quieter than 24%. 13.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.5).
How much does a house cost in Desert Hot Springs?
The median owner-occupied home in Desert Hot Springs is valued at $354,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,761, so homes cost about 6.7 times income. Median rent is $1,412 a month.
What is the weather like in Desert Hot Springs?
July highs average 93.8°F and January lows 40.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 9.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Desert Hot Springs get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Desert Hot Springs in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)