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CITY · 2010 ACS

Palm Desert

California · 48,445 residents · 26.777 sq mi
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The short version

Palm Desert has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $56,897. Population has grown 18% since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $384,300. With a median age of 53.0, the population is older than the US median of 37.2.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 53.0
US median: 37.2
More educated
34% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 72%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
48,445
+18%since 2000
from 41,155 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
53.0
+10%since 2000
from 48.0 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
20K29K38K47K56K1990201020202024Palm Desert
202452K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 54.2%(2,021)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 94%(1,960)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 144.3%(2,105)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 194.8%(2,345)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245%(2,436)
US avg: 7%
25 to 349%(4,344)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 449.1%(4,387)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5412.1%(5,872)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6414.6%(7,052)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 7415.8%(7,640)
US avg: 7%
75 to 8412.2%(5,914)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over4.9%(2,369)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$56,897
−7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $48,316 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$41,237
+23%since 2000
from $33,463 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
39.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 37.4% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
8.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2000
from 9.2% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.499
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information12.6%
US avg: 11.5%
Other services9.2%
US avg: 7%
Wholesale trade9.1%
US avg: 7.2%
Public administration4.2%
US avg: 4.9%
Retail trade3%
US avg: 10.9%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.2%
US avg: 2.4%
Finance & insurance2.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical1.9%
US avg: 4.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction1.7%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$384,300
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $176,400 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,160
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $744 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
40.3%
−26.5 ptssince 2000
from 66.9% in 2000
34.4% rent
Vacancy rate
37.5%
+4.9 ptssince 2009
from 32.6% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Owner cost-burdened
38.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 37.6% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
55.1%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 57.3% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
6.8
−8%since 2009
from 7.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Palm Desert on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic77.6%(31,919)
Black1.1%(446)
Hispanic / Latino17.1%(7,031)
Asian2.5%(1,036)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic70.4%(34,115)
Black1.6%(782)
Hispanic / Latino22.8%(11,038)
Asian3.3%(1,587)
Other1.3%(607)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican17.2%(8,354)
Salvadoran1.5%(727)
Colombian0.4%(212)
Peruvian0.4%(176)
Guatemalan0.3%(143)
Cuban0.2%(105)
Spaniard0.1%(61)
Argentine0.1%(46)
Puerto Rican0.1%(43)
Costa Rican0.1%(36)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(30)
Honduran0%(10)
Chilean0%(6)
Ancestry
German15.7%(7,617)
English15.1%(7,343)
Irish13.1%(6,379)
Italian5.1%(2,455)
American4.6%(2,226)
French3.3%(1,607)
Scottish3.2%(1,542)
Scotch-Irish3%(1,433)
Russian2.5%(1,218)
Swedish2.4%(1,174)
Norwegian2.4%(1,151)
Dutch1.9%(930)
+ 32 more ancestry groups with data
Polish1.8%(889)
Welsh1.7%(843)
Hungarian1.4%(662)
Canadian1.3%(628)
British1.1%(526)
Danish1.1%(511)
Arab0.9%(455)
Czech0.6%(298)
Greek0.6%(290)
Portuguese0.6%(287)
Lebanese0.5%(259)
Austrian0.5%(235)
Swiss0.4%(198)
Romanian0.3%(157)
Armenian0.3%(154)
Croatian0.3%(149)
Ukrainian0.3%(145)
Iranian0.2%(120)
Egyptian0.2%(112)
Brazilian0.2%(94)
Slovak0.2%(75)
Turkish0.1%(46)
Israeli0.1%(39)
Lithuanian0.1%(39)
Finnish0.1%(32)
Moroccan0.1%(28)
Slovene0%(24)
Belgian0%(21)
Syrian0%(12)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.6%
+2.1 ptssince 2000
from 31.4% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
90.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 88.9% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
12.3%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 11.3% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.6 min
+49%since 2000
from 13.1 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
76.9%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 78.5% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
10.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
1.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
6.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
2.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
5.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
9.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
35.5%
−30.3 ptssince 2009
from 65.8% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 47.3% in 2009
Female
51.4%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 52.7% in 2009
Foreign born
18.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 18.9% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
15.1%
−30.8 ptssince 2009
from 45.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married30.2%(6,415)
Married55.7%(11,831)
Widowed2.5%(526)
Divorced11.7%(2,479)
Women 15+
Never married23.4%(5,932)
Married47.4%(12,007)
Widowed13.7%(3,462)
Divorced15.6%(3,942)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Compare Palm Desert to nearby cities

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PALM DESERT VS
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PALM DESERT VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Palm Desert, California?

Palm Desert, California has about 48,445 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Palm Desert, California?

The typical household in Palm Desert, California earns about $56,897 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Palm Desert, California expensive?

In Palm Desert, California, the median home is worth about $384,300, and the typical rent is about $1,160 a month.

How educated are people in Palm Desert, California?

About 33.6% of adults age 25 and over in Palm Desert, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Palm Desert, California?

About 8.8% of people in Palm Desert, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Palm Desert, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Palm Desert, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 25,193 residents, a change of about 108 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →