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City · 6,579 residents · Riverside County, California

Desert Palms , California

In Desert Palms, a typical home is worth $567,400 and typical rent is $1,957 a month. Compared with all of Riverside County, typical household income is 14% lower and the share of households that own their home is 17 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $567,400

    About the same as the county

    23% below California

    • Desert Palms
    • Riverside
    • California

  • Typical rent

    $1,957a month

    3% above the county

    4% below California

    • Desert Palms
    • Riverside
    • California

  • Typical household income

    $79,792a year

    14% below the county

    20% below California

    • Desert Palms
    • Riverside
    • California

  • Households that own their home

    86%

    17 points above the county

    31 points above California

    • Desert Palms
    • Riverside
    • California

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Desert Palms is in Riverside County. The FHA loan limit ($690,000 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Riverside County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Desert Palms apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Thousand Palms, the typical home value is $268,700: 53% less than in Desert Palms ($567,400).

  2. 86% of households in Desert Palms own their home, against 69% in Riverside County.

  3. Nearby, in Indio, the typical rent is $1,437: 27% less than in Desert Palms ($1,957).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in Desert Palms

What homes there are in Desert Palms, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

Detached houses, standing on their own, make up 93% of homes here, against 69% in Riverside County.

Year built

Here half of the homes date from 2000 or later; in Riverside County, from 1990 or later.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,340 a month

Riverside County: $2,583 a month

Without a mortgage

$1,017 a month

Riverside County: $781 a month

Owners with a mortgage

42%

Riverside County: 69%

In Desert Palms, 42% of owners have a mortgage, and their typical cost is $2,340 a month, against $2,583 in Riverside County. Without one it drops to $1,017.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Homes in Desert Palms gained value more slowly than in Riverside County: 53% since 2015–2019, against 59%.

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in Desert Palms did not change clearly, according to the Census.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureDesert PalmsRiverside CountyCaliforniaUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate5.0%4.2%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.0%0.8%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate7.8%8.2%3.4%
People per household 1.703.152.842.53
Drive alone 57%73%66%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate11%10%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%3%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate1%3%3%
Work from home 38%12%17%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Desert Palms are smaller: 1.70 people on average; in Riverside County, 3.15.

Many people here do not commute at all: 38% work from home; in Riverside County, 12%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Desert Palms?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Desert Palms, worth $567,400, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 71% of the typical household income in Desert Palms, which is $79,792 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $201,077 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Riverside County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Desert Palms. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $19,859 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$4,692

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$557,123
Total interest
$801,569
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $9,582 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,862 a month

  • Tight

    $1,862 to $2,394 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,394 a month

    Your payment · 71%

Compared with the typical household income in Desert Palms ($79,792 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$4,692
Principal & interest$3,774
Property tax$430
Home insurance$236
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$251

You need at least $19,859 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Desert Palms and Riverside County

Desert Palms is in Riverside County, California. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Desert Palms's own numbers

Typical home value
$567,400
Typical monthly rent
$1,957
Typical yearly household income
$79,792
Households that own their home
86%
Effective property tax rate
0.91%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Riverside County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$690,000
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$2,103
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+54%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.9%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Riverside County.

Everything about Riverside County

Buying

Buying a home in Desert Palms

A typical home in Desert Palms is worth $567,400: about the same as the county and 23% below California. With the typical household income in Desert Palms ($79,792 a year), a typical home costs 7.1 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Desert Palms 7.1 years
  • Riverside 6.0 years
  • California 7.4 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Riverside County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Riverside County rose 105% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Riverside County.

Period County California U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.3% +0.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +54% +40% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +105% +80% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Desert Palms next to Riverside County, California and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Desert Palms $567,400
  • Riverside $557,300
  • California $734,700
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Desert Palms $1,957
  • Riverside $1,901
  • California $2,036
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Desert Palms $79,792
  • Riverside $93,074
  • California $99,122
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Desert Palms next to Riverside County and California
Measure Desert Palms Riverside County California U.S.
Typical home value $567,400 $557,300 $734,700 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,957 $1,901 $2,036 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $79,792 $93,074 $99,122 $80,734
Households that own their home 86% 69% 56% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $5,185 $4,348 $5,124 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 0.91% 0.78% 0.7% 0.94%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Riverside County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Desert Palms

For a typical $567,400 home in Desert Palms, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Desert Palms's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $4,692a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $19,859
    Cash to close
    $36,881
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $251

  • Conventional, 5% down $4,588a month

    Down payment
    $28,370
    Cash to close
    $45,392
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $270

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $3,742a month

    Down payment
    $113,480
    Cash to close
    $130,502
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $4,266a month

    Down payment
    $85,110
    Cash to close
    $102,132
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Desert Palms and for Riverside County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Desert Palms

0.91%of the home’s value each year

$5,185 a year for the typical owner in Desert Palms.

  • Desert Palms 0.91%
  • Riverside 0.78%
  • California 0.7%

What California publishes Homeowners' exemption (California State Board of Equalization (BOE))

Exemptions and deadlines in California

Flood risk in Riverside County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Riverside County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
1.9%
14,072
Of those, with NFIP insurance
16%
County California U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 1.9% 2.8% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 16% 31% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Desert Palms

Typical rent in Desert Palms is $1,957 a month: 3% above the county.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Riverside County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($2,103 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $40.44 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Riverside County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,605 $30.87 $64,200
1 bedroom $1,705 $32.79 $68,200
2 bedrooms $2,103 $40.44 $84,120
3 bedrooms $2,771 $53.29 $110,840
4 bedrooms $3,336 $64.15 $133,440

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Desert Palms

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Desert Palms is in ZIP code 92211.

For 2 bedrooms it is $2,160: $57 more than the fair market rent for Riverside County ($2,103).

  • 92211 $2,160$2,850

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Desert Palms when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Desert Palms

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There are 9 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Riverside County; 7 say they serve in Spanish.

A pregnant woman reads paperwork on the sofa while the grandmother plays with the girl on the floor.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Desert Palms

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Desert Palms or Riverside County. The ones below are statewide in California: they work in Desert Palms the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in California

  • MyHome Assistance Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers in California. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan

    Statewide in California

    Closed, per the source

    CalHFA down payment loan for first-generation buyers in California; when you sell, you repay the loan plus a share of the home's appreciation. Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Shared appreciation

    See the program Official page

  • MyAccess Program

    Statewide in California

    CalHFA second loan with deferred payments for the down payment or closing costs of first-time buyers who use the CalPLUS Access mortgage (FHA or conventional). Offered by California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Desert Palms

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Desert Palms, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Coachella Valley Housing Coalition

    45701 Monroe St Ste G, Indio · 6 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (760) 347-3157

  • Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc.- Palm Springs

    190 W Amado Rd, Palm Springs · 15 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Fair housing pre-purchase workshops
    • and 4 more
    (760) 864-1541

  • Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc.- Moreno Valley

    23890 Alessandro Blvd Ste A1, Moreno Valley · 55 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Fair housing pre-purchase workshops
    • and 4 more
    (951) 653-8314

Every agency in Riverside County All counseling agencies in California

Help in Spanish near Desert Palms

3 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Desert Palms

HUD’s record names them for Desert Palms or Riverside County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Housing Authority of the County of Riverside Section 8 vouchers (951) 351-0700

All housing agencies in California Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Riverside County

These cities are also in Riverside County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Riverside County Housing in California
See 35 more cities in Riverside County, with prices and rents

Every city has its own page with prices, rents and help.

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Desert Palms, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Riverside County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Desert Palms.

All guides
Three women of one family lean in together to stir the pan.

Questions

Housing questions about Desert Palms

Short answers with the numbers for Desert Palms and all of Riverside County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Desert Palms?

The typical home value in Desert Palms is $567,400, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Riverside County it is $557,300.

How much does it cost to rent in Desert Palms?

Typical rent in Desert Palms is $1,957 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Riverside County is $2,103.

What is the FHA loan limit in Desert Palms?

Desert Palms uses the FHA limit for all of Riverside County (2026): $690,000 for a one-unit home and $1,326,950 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Desert Palms?

The typical homeowner in Desert Palms pays $5,185 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.91% of the home’s value; in Riverside County, the rate is 0.78%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Desert Palms?

There are 9 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Riverside County. 7 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).