Palm Desert, CA

Census Place

2024 Population

51,990

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

57.5

1.41% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

11%

2.76% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$77,513

2.51% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$542,000

Population & Diversity

Palm Desert, CA is home to a population of 52k people, from which 93.3% are citizens.

As of 2024, 17.5% of Palm Desert, CA residents were born outside of the country (9.1k people).

In 2024, there were 3.87 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (33k people) in Palm Desert, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 8.53k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 2.72k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.3%

2024 Citizenship

93.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.3% of Palm Desert, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Palm Desert, CA was 93.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Palm Desert, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
33k ± 1.51k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
8.53k ± 1.48k
Other (Hispanic)
2.72k ± 617

26.7%

Hispanic Population

13.9k people

26.7% of the people in Palm Desert, CA are hispanic (13.9k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Palm Desert, 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

17.5%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

9.1k people

17.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.99k people

As of 2024, 17.5% of Palm Desert, CA residents (9.1k 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 Palm Desert, CA was 17.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,348 ± 305
Korea
331 ± 125
Gulf War (1990s)
308 ± 145

Palm Desert, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.07 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Palm Desert, CA employs 21.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Palm Desert, CA were Accommodation & Food Services (2,993 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,640 people), and Retail Trade (2,566 people), and the highest paying industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($250,001), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($171,250), and Manufacturing ($103,500).

Employment

Occupations

21.2k

2024 Value

± 1,410

1.36%

1 Year growth

± 9.06%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Palm Desert, CA grew at a rate of 1.36%, from 21k employees to 21.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Palm Desert, CA, are Management Occupations (3,043 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,812 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,436 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Palm Desert, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

21.2k

2024 Value

± 1,410

1.36%

1 Year growth

± 9.06%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Palm Desert, CA grew at a rate of 1.36%, from 21k employees to 21.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Palm Desert, CA, are Accommodation & Food Services (2,993 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,640 people), and Retail Trade (2,566 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Palm Desert, CA, though some of these residents may live in Palm Desert, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,367

Median earning men ± $9,622

$44,212

Median earning women ± $3,138

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($112,500), Information ($101,250), and Public Administration ($92,399).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($90,536), Public Administration ($88,672), and Information ($78,571).

Education

The student population of Palm Desert, CA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 5,710 male students and 7,908 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Palm Desert, CA are Hispanic or Latino (3,573 and 76.7%), White (698 and 15%), Asian (147 and 3.16%), and Two or More Races (125 and 2.68%).

The largest universities in Palm Desert, CA by number of degrees awarded are College of the Desert (4,237 and 90%), Milan Institute-Palm Desert (183 and 3.89%), and International School of Beauty Inc (179 and 3.8%).

The most popular majors in Palm Desert, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,099 and 23.3%), Early Childhood Education & Teaching (385 and 8.17%), and Child Care Provider (367 and 7.79%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 13,618 students enrolled in Palm Desert, CA, 41.9% men and 58.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 10,018 records, of which 60% were women and 40% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering Technology
277 degrees awarded
Early Childhood Education & Teaching
266 degrees awarded
Child Care Provider
249 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years recipients in Palm Desert, CA was HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering Technology with 277 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years from schools in Palm Desert, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

College of the Desert
4,237 degrees awarded
Milan Institute-Palm Desert
183 degrees awarded
International School of Beauty Inc
179 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was College of the Desert with 4,237 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 1,734 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Palm Desert, CA, which is 0.583 times less than the 2,976 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 3,573 degrees mean that there were 5.12 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 698 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($4,484) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($51) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,009) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Palm Desert, CA was $542,000 in 2024, which is 1.63 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $491,600 to $542,000, a 10.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Palm Desert, CA is 65%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Palm Desert, CA have an average commute time of 21 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Palm Desert, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$542,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$25,109

$16,039

Median Property Taxes

±$894

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 Palm Desert, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

65%

Homeownership

2024

63.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65% of the housing units in Palm Desert, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 64.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Palm Desert, 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.

$77,513

Median Household Income

± $7,228

24.7k

Number of Households

± 1,271

In 2024, the median household income of the 24.7k households in Palm Desert, CA declined from $77,513 from the previous year's value of $79,508.

The following chart displays the households in Palm Desert, 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 $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Palm Desert, 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 (69%)
Worked At Home (14.9%)
Carpooled (13.3%)

In 2024, 69% of workers in Palm Desert, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.9%) and those who carpooled to work (13.3%).

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

21 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Palm Desert, CA have a shorter commute time (21 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.2% of the workforce in Palm Desert, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

11% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Palm Desert, CA (5.67k out of 51.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Palm Desert, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

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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