The Town Files

Desert Palms, California

Community in Riverside County · population 6,686 (2020 Census)

Map: where Desert Palms is in CaliforniaDesert Palms
Median home
$567,400
Household income
$79,792
Jan low / Jul high
47° / 106°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
77.1

Desert Palms is a community of 6,686 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $567,400, close to the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 93% of California towns, better for first-time buyers than 91% of California towns, quieter than 89% of California towns.

Desert Palms in our rankings:

How Desert Palms 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.

Desert Palms lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement85th pctFamilies44th pctQuiet89th pctWalkability49th pctFirst-time buyers91st pctYoung professionals12th pctVibrancy46th pctHip & trendy50th pctCollege town15th pctUpscale73rd pctVacation homes93rd pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving17th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Desert Palms is worth $567,400, close to the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.1 times the median household income of $79,792, which is more affordable than 39% of California towns. Median rent is $1,957 a month. 86.4% of households own their home.

Desert Palms vs Riverside County vs typical California townDesert PalmsRiverside CountyTypical California townHome value$567,400$557,300$596,900Household income$79,792$93,074$91,557Monthly rent$1,957$1,901$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingDesert PalmsTypical California town
Median home value$567,400$596,900
Median rent$1,957$1,827
Median household income$79,792$91,557
Home value ÷ income7.1×6.4×
Homeownership86.4%67.4%
Median year built20001977
Seasonal / vacation homes18.2%—

Who lives in Desert Palms

PeopleDesert PalmsTypical California town
Median age77.140.2
Age 65 and over84.3%17.7%
Under 180.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher46.3%27.7%
Below the poverty line9.6%10.3%
Veterans15.1%—
Born outside the U.S.12.9%—
Work from home38.3%13.4%
Average commute24.9 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband87.7%93.3%

Weather in Desert Palms

July highs average 105.8°F and January lows 46.8°F. About 2.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 184 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.

Desert Palms monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°110°70°47°Jan73°51°Feb80°57°Mar86°63°Apr93°69°May102°77°Jun106°83°Jul105°83°Aug101°77°Sep91°66°Oct78°53°Nov69°45°DecPrecipitation (in)0.70.60.30.10.00.00.10.30.10.10.20.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Indio Fire Stn station (6.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Desert Palms since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on July 14, 2024.

Severe weather in Riverside County since 1996

Storm events in Riverside County since 1996 by typeHeat71Flood135Drought104Wildfire233High Wind661Dust Storm46Heavy Rain92Heavy Snow60
NOAA Storm Events Database, Riverside County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 54 deaths recorded.

Riverside County has been included in 66 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 20, 2026FireFM-5636: Bain Fire
September 11, 2024FireFM-5538: Airport Fire
July 21, 2024FireFM-5515: Hawarden Fire
November 21, 2023HurricaneDR-4750: Tropical Storm Hilary
January 9, 2023FloodEM-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 Palms itself the ACS puts it at 8.3%.

Largest industries in Riverside CountyHealth care & social assistan…132,092 jobs · $53,956Retail94,170 jobs · $44,156Hotels & restaurants90,357 jobs · $32,150Construction74,216 jobs · $73,089Transportation & warehousing73,962 jobs · $62,875Administrative & support50,769 jobs · $45,983
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Riverside County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Riverside 4.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Desert Palms

Desert Palms questions

Is Desert Palms, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Desert Palms scores better for retirees than 85% of California towns and quieter than 89%. 84.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 77.1).

How much does a house cost in Desert Palms?

The median owner-occupied home in Desert Palms is valued at $567,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $79,792, so homes cost about 7.1 times income. Median rent is $1,957 a month.

What is the weather like in Desert Palms?

July highs average 105.8°F and January lows 46.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 2.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Desert Palms get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Desert Palms in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Desert Palms's Census boundary (GEOID 0619022). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.