The Town FilesThermal, California
Community in Riverside County · population 2,676 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $187,000
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 107°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 34.3
Thermal is a community of 2,676 people in Riverside County, California. The median home is worth $187,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 92% of California towns, quieter than 84% of California towns.
How Thermal 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 Thermal is worth $187,000, below the typical California town ($596,900). Median rent is $986 a month. 56.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Thermal | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $187,000 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $986 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | — | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 56.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Thermal
| People | Thermal | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.3 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 22.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.3% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 0.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 55.7% | — |
| Work from home | 3.0% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.2% | 93.3% |
Weather in Thermal
July highs average 106.9°F and January lows 39.0°F. About 3.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 187 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 19 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Thermal since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on August 6, 2015 about 2.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 6, 2015.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 1 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on October 12, 2018.
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 Thermal itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.
Public schools in Thermal
9 public schools with 7,397 students, about 19.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coachella Valley High | 9-12 | 2,345 | 19.4 |
| Desert Mirage High | 9-12 | 1,974 | 19.9 |
| Toro Canyon Middle | 7-8 | 938 | 20.4 |
| Las Palmitas Elementary | K-6 | 582 | 21.6 |
| John Kelley Elementary | K-6 | 496 | 16.0 |
| Oasis Elementary | K-6 | 491 | 22.3 |
| Westside Elementary | K-6 | 336 | 19.8 |
| La Familia Continuation High | 10-12 | 235 | 15.7 |
| Coachella Valley USD Special Ed PreK | Other | — | — |
Towns near Thermal
- Coachella, CA4.5 mi · 41,941 people · home $367,600
- Vista Santa Rosa, CA4.5 mi · 2,607 people · home $427,700
- Mecca, CA5.1 mi · 8,219 people · home $224,300
- Oasis, CA6.8 mi · 4,468 people · home $34,800
- La Quinta, CA8.3 mi · 37,558 people · home $661,600
- Indio, CA9.5 mi · 89,137 people · home $458,400
- Bermuda Dunes, CA12.1 mi · 8,244 people · home $596,300
- Indian Wells, CA12.5 mi · 4,757 people · home $1,078,200
Thermal questions
Is Thermal, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Thermal scores better for retirees than 22% of California towns and quieter than 84%. 19.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.3).
How much does a house cost in Thermal?
The median owner-occupied home in Thermal is valued at $187,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is $986 a month.
What is the weather like in Thermal?
July highs average 106.9°F and January lows 39.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 3.0 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Thermal get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Thermal since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on August 6, 2015. 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)