Palm Desert, CA housing market
The typical Palm Desert home is worth about $539,000, down 1.6% in a year, 29% below the California typical home. Homes typically sell in 90 days, below asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Palm Desert compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Palm Desert at a glance
A balanced market
About 6 months of supply: neither buyers nor sellers have a clear edge.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Palm Desert | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $315,000 | $453,000 |
| 2018 | $341,000 | $501,000 |
| 2019 | $358,000 | $539,000 |
| 2020 | $373,000 | $551,000 |
| 2021 | $407,000 | $607,000 |
| 2022 | $521,000 | $703,000 |
| 2023 | $578,000 | $727,000 |
| 2024 | $569,000 | $758,000 |
| 2025 | $562,000 | $782,000 |
| 2026 | $544,000 | $767,000 |
| August 2026 | $539,000 | $764,000 |
313 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 313 new homes in Palm Desert in 2025: 249 single-family houses and 64 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $118.7 million to build. That's 6 per 1,000 residents, faster than across California (2.7). Over the past 10 years, Palm Desert has permitted 2,854 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Palm Desert gained 2,718 residents while 1,964 new homes were permitted: about 1.4 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. 27% of Palm Desert's homes are seasonal or vacation homes, which adds housing without adding residents. Across California: 2.7 new residents per new home.
How Palm Desert ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 55 | 55 | 0 | $25.2 million |
| 2025 | 313 | 249 | 64 | $118.7 million |
| 2024 | 109 | 109 | 0 | $51.4 million |
| 2023 | 865 | 185 | 680 | $195.9 million |
| 2022 | 412 | 403 | 9 | $140.2 million |
| 2021 | 157 | 142 | 15 | $81.6 million |
| 2020 | 49 | 49 | 0 | $30.7 million |
| 2019 | 398 | 88 | 310 | $99.7 million |
| 2018 | 129 | 61 | 68 | $40.6 million |
| 2017 | 134 | 72 | 62 | $48.1 million |
| 2016 | 288 | 75 | 213 | $77 million |
| 2015 | 134 | 107 | 27 | $52.9 million |
| 2014 | 304 | 208 | 96 | $90 million |
| 2013 | 201 | 137 | 64 | $58 million |
| 2012 | 172 | 100 | 72 | $63.2 million |
| 2011 | 108 | 86 | 22 | $44.4 million |
| 2010 | 96 | 74 | 22 | $25.7 million |
| 2009 | 77 | 33 | 44 | $10.7 million |
| 2008 | 537 | 66 | 471 | $119.7 million |
| 2007 | 294 | 224 | 70 | $140.8 million |
| 2006 | 713 | 271 | 442 | $145.9 million |
| 2005 | 235 | 100 | 135 | $64.5 million |
| 2004 | 436 | 325 | 111 | $92.6 million |
| 2003 | 338 | 237 | 101 | $77.1 million |
| 2002 | 531 | 221 | 310 | $87.5 million |
| 2001 | 666 | 255 | 411 | $111.1 million |
| 2000 | 533 | 417 | 116 | $150.7 million |
How Palm Desert ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Palm Desert and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Desert | $539K | −1.6% | $2,320 | 313 | $77,513 |
| Indian Wells | $1.44M | +2.9% | $2,080 | 8 | $162,990 |
| Rancho Mirage | $829K | −0.3% | $2,230 | 53 | $107,364 |
| Thousand Palms | $382K | −1.5% | $2,090 | — | $77,000 |
| Bermuda Dunes | — | −1.3%† | $2,370 | — | $90,818 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
7 years of income
The typical Palm Desert home costs about 7 years of the town's median household income, less than across California (7.7 years).
How Palm Desert ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,320
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Palm Desert is $2,320 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Palm Desert pay a median of $1,778, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 36% of the town's median household income, above the 30% guideline for affordable housing.
Studio $1,780 · 4 bedrooms $3,710
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (92211, 92260; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.