The Town FilesTwentynine Palms, California
City in San Bernardino County · population 28,065 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $268,200
- Household income
- $62,554
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 104°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 24.8
Twentynine Palms is a city of 28,065 people in San Bernardino County, California. The median home is worth $268,200, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 95% of California towns, better for young professionals than 85% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 81% of California towns.
How Twentynine 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Twentynine Palms is worth $268,200, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $62,554, which is more affordable than 87% of California towns. Median rent is $1,352 a month. 38.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Twentynine Palms | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $268,200 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,352 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $62,554 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.3× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 38.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1985 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 5.4% | — |
Who lives in Twentynine Palms
| People | Twentynine Palms | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 24.8 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 7.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 24.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.2% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.5% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 13.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.7% | — |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 15.9 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.8% | 93.3% |
Weather in Twentynine Palms
July highs average 104.0°F and January lows 41.8°F. About 3.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.1 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 154 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 17 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Twentynine Palms since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on July 27, 1987 about 1.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 27, 1987.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on August 11, 1998.
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 Twentynine Palms itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.
Public schools in Twentynine Palms
7 public schools with 2,955 students, about 21.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twentynine Palms High | 9-12 | 723 | 18.1 |
| Twentynine Palms Elementary | K-6 | 546 | 23.7 |
| Oasis Elementary | K-6 | 492 | 25.9 |
| Twentynine Palms Junior High | 7-8 | 415 | 20.8 |
| Palm Vista Elementary | K-6 | 390 | 21.7 |
| Condor Elementary | K-6 | 389 | 24.3 |
| Preschool | Other | — | — |
Towns near Twentynine Palms
- Joshua Tree, CA14.2 mi · 6,489 people · home $334,200
- Yucca Valley, CA20.4 mi · 21,738 people · home $363,400
- Homestead Valley, CA21.7 mi · 2,789 people · home $245,900
- Desert Edge, CA26.5 mi · 4,180 people · home $76,300
- Thousand Palms, CA28.3 mi · 7,967 people · home $268,700
- Garnet, CA28.5 mi · 7,118 people · home $267,900
- Desert Palms, CA28.7 mi · 6,686 people · home $567,400
- Morongo Valley, CA28.9 mi · 3,514 people · home $285,400
Twentynine Palms questions
Is Twentynine Palms, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Twentynine Palms scores better for retirees than 25% of California towns and quieter than 41%. 7.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 24.8).
How much does a house cost in Twentynine Palms?
The median owner-occupied home in Twentynine Palms is valued at $268,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $62,554, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $1,352 a month.
What is the weather like in Twentynine Palms?
July highs average 104.0°F and January lows 41.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 3.9 inches of precipitation a year and 1.1 inches of snow.
Does Twentynine Palms get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Twentynine Palms since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on July 27, 1987. 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)