The Town FilesJoshua Tree, California
Community in San Bernardino County · population 6,489 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $334,200
- Household income
- $66,291
- Jan low / Jul high
- 38° / 102°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 41.2
Joshua Tree is a community of 6,489 people in San Bernardino County, California. The median home is worth $334,200, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 100% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 92% of California towns, hipper than 83% of California towns.
How Joshua Tree 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 Joshua Tree is worth $334,200, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.0 times the median household income of $66,291, which is more affordable than 76% of California towns. Median rent is $1,246 a month. 65.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Joshua Tree | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $334,200 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,246 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $66,291 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.0× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 65.5% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1980 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 24.0% | — |
Who lives in Joshua Tree
| People | Joshua Tree | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.8% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 18.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.0% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 22.6% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 6.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 9.2% | — |
| Work from home | 27.0% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 30.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.6% | 93.3% |
Weather in Joshua Tree
July highs average 101.5°F and January lows 38.2°F. About 4.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.8 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 130 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 24 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Joshua Tree since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 7, 1982 about 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 7, 2001.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 5 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 14, 2004.
Severe weather in San Bernardino County since 1996
San Bernardino County has been included in 61 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2024 | Fire | FM-5537: Bridge Fire |
| September 7, 2024 | Fire | FM-5535: Line Fire |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County had 845,908 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,368 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Joshua Tree itself the ACS puts it at 5.6%.
Public schools in Joshua Tree
2 public schools with 522 students, about 23.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friendly Hills Elementary | K-6 | 262 | 23.8 |
| Joshua Tree Elementary | K-6 | 260 | 23.6 |
Towns near Joshua Tree
- Yucca Valley, CA6.2 mi · 21,738 people · home $363,400
- Homestead Valley, CA11.8 mi · 2,789 people · home $245,900
- Twentynine Palms, CA14.2 mi · 28,065 people · home $268,200
- Morongo Valley, CA14.7 mi · 3,514 people · home $285,400
- Desert Edge, CA15.7 mi · 4,180 people · home $76,300
- Garnet, CA17.1 mi · 7,118 people · home $267,900
- Desert Hot Springs, CA17.4 mi · 32,512 people · home $354,800
- Thousand Palms, CA21.5 mi · 7,967 people · home $268,700
Joshua Tree questions
Is Joshua Tree, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Joshua Tree scores better for retirees than 69% of California towns and quieter than 82%. 19.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.2).
How much does a house cost in Joshua Tree?
The median owner-occupied home in Joshua Tree is valued at $334,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,291, so homes cost about 5.0 times income. Median rent is $1,246 a month.
What is the weather like in Joshua Tree?
July highs average 101.5°F and January lows 38.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 4.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.8 inches of snow.
Does Joshua Tree get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Joshua Tree since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 7, 1982. The typical California town has had 2.
- 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)