Living here
Average rent in Palm Desert
What renters actually pay, by number of bedrooms, and how Palm Desert compares with California and the US.
Median rent
$1,717/mo
27% above US
1 bedroom
$1,281/mo
9% above US
2 bedrooms
$1,843/mo
38% above US
Renters paying 30%+ of income
60%
US 50%
Renter households
8,599
Rent by number of bedrooms
Median gross rent (contract rent plus utilities) for occupied rental units, by bedrooms. Income needed uses the 30% rule.
How Palm Desert compares
- Palm Desert$1,367
- California$1,531
- United States$1,185
- Palm Desert$1,281
- California$1,709
- United States$1,180
- Palm Desert$1,843
- California$2,014
- United States$1,338
- Palm Desert$2,075
- California$2,262
- United States$1,500
Two-bedroom rent in nearby cities
- Palm Desert$1,843
- Indian Wells$1,144
- Hemet$1,453
- Menifee$1,749
- Temecula$2,107
- Perris$1,665
- Moreno Valley$1,891
- Fallbrook$1,696
- San Bernardino$1,449
- Palm Desert60%
- Indian Wells78%
- Hemet63%
- Menifee66%
- Temecula55%
- Perris59%
- Moreno Valley63%
- Fallbrook61%
- San Bernardino63%
Nearby cities are other Local City Network guides in California, nearest first.
What rent can you afford?
At 30% of income you can spend about $1,843 a month.
- Studio $1,367
- 1 bedroom $1,281
- 2 bedrooms $1,843
- 3 bedrooms $2,075
- 4 bedrooms $2,429
- 5+ bedrooms $3,309
Green means the median Palm Desert rent for that size fits your budget. Landlords often ask for income of 2.5–3× the monthly rent.
How stretched are renters?
60% of Palm Desert renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 30% spend half or more. The typical renter household puts 34.6% of its income toward rent (US: 50% and 25%).
Rent by zip code
Median gross rent for each ZIP Code Tabulation Area that overlaps Palm Desert.
HUD fair market rents
HUD’s 2027 fair market rents for Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA are the payment benchmarks for housing vouchers (about the 40th percentile of recent movers’ rents), so they often differ from the medians above.
More on living in Palm Desert
Neighborhoods of Palm Desert
Questions
What is the average rent in Palm Desert?
The median gross rent (rent plus utilities) is $1,717 a month, 12% below the California median and 27% above the national median.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Palm Desert?
The median one-bedroom rents for $1,281 a month (US: $1,180).
How much is a two-bedroom in Palm Desert?
The median two-bedroom rents for $1,843 a month (US: $1,338).
How much do you need to make to rent in Palm Desert?
Using the common 30% rule, a median two-bedroom ($1,843) takes a household income of about $73,720 a year, and a one-bedroom about $51,240.
Is rent affordable in Palm Desert?
About 60% of Palm Desert renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent, and 30% spend at least half (US: 50% and 25%).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables B25031, B25070 and B25071). Estimates have margins of error; figures are in 2023 dollars.