Desert Center, CA

Census Place

2024 Population

144

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

45.5

7.52% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

31.9%

6.69% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$73,393

0.736% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$216,100

Population & Diversity

Desert Center, CA is home to a population of 144 people, from which 97.9% are citizens.

As of 2024, 3.47% of Desert Center, CA residents were born outside of the country (5 people).

In 2024, there were 2.21 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (64 people) in Desert Center, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 29 Other (Hispanic) and 17 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.9%

2024 Citizenship

98.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.9% of Desert Center, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Desert Center, CA was 98.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Desert Center, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Desert Center, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
64 ± 57
Other (Hispanic)
29 ± 36
White (Hispanic)
17 ± 19

38.9%

Hispanic Population

56 people

38.9% of the people in Desert Center, CA are hispanic (56 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Desert Center, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,877,888 ± 45,899 people
Philippines
827,719 ± 22,100 people
China
695,724 ± 20,296 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,877,888 California residents, followed by Philippines with 827,719 and China with 695,724.

Foreign-Born Population

3.47%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

5 people

7.78%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

13 people

As of 2024, 3.47% of Desert Center, CA residents (5 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Desert Center, CA was 7.78%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Desert Center, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Vietnam

Most Common Service Period

1 ± 20

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Desert Center, CA.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Desert Center, CA was $216,100 in 2024, which is 0.65 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $221,200 to $216,100, a 2.31% decrease. The homeownership rate in Desert Center, CA is 54.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Desert Center, CA have an average commute time of 12 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Desert Center, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$216,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$79,757

$31

Median Property Taxes

±$45

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Desert Center, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Desert Center, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

54.4%

Homeownership

2024

64.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 54.4% of the housing units in Desert Center, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 67.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Desert Center, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$73,393

Median Household Income

± $66,823

Number of Households

± 49

In 2024, the median household income of the 57 households in Desert Center, CA grew to $73,393 from the previous year's value of $72,857.

The following chart displays the households in Desert Center, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $35k - $40k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Desert Center, CA is from California.

0.493

2024 Wage GINI in California

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

In 2024, the income inequality in California was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.424% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (60.8%)
Walked (25.5%)
Worked At Home (7.84%)

In 2024, 60.8% of workers in Desert Center, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (25.5%) and those who worked at home (7.84%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

12 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Desert Center, CA have a shorter commute time (12 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Desert Center, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Desert Center, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Desert Center, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Desert Center, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

31.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Desert Center, CA (46 out of 144 people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 35 - 44, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Desert Center, CA is Hispanic, followed by Other and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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