Population 39 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Desert Center
Household size in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.72 | 3.35 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 3.43 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.73 | 3.42 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.17 | 3.34 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.44 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Desert Center is a place of big households: 3.17 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Locally, though, the typical household here is smaller than in the wider Riverside area, where it has 3.34 people. Household size has climbed from 2.72 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.5 | 33.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 34.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.6 | 35.9 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.1 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.6 | +3.4 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Desert Center is 43.1 years old, older than the national median of 40.1.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 15.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 14.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 23.0% | 14.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +10.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Desert Center: 23.0% of all households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Desert Center
Renters in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.1% | 32.3% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.3% | 36.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.8% | 36.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.7% | 34.2% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.4 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Desert Center is largely a place of homeowners: only 22.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 70.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.2% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 50.7% | 10.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 53.8% | 9.4% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 55.8% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 55.8% of the housing in Desert Center, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1983 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1984 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1984 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Desert Center is a place of older homes: half were built before 1971, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $686 | $1,287 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $788 | $1,332 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $996 | $1,549 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,455 | $2,083 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$769 | +$796 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Desert Center pays $1,455 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 22.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Desert Center
Bachelor's degrees in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 19.2% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 19.4% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 21.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 24.0% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Desert Center have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.8%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.7% | 77.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 65.4% | 78.6% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 76.4% | 80.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.2% | 82.5% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.5 pts | +4.6 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in six adults in Desert Center never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. That is in line with the rest of the Riverside area.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Desert Center
| Period | Desert Center | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.3% | 11.4% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 20.7% | 14.4% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.9% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 25.4% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | −4.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Desert Center: 25.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Desert Center compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Center | 3.17 | 43.1 | 23.0% | 22.7% | 55.8% | 1971 | $1,455 | 14.8% | 82.2% | 25.4% |
| Lake Tamarisk | 3.38 | 40.2 | 24.6% | 20.3% | 54.9% | 1973 | $1,521 | 12.1% | 79.9% | 28.9% |
| Indio | 3.00 | 40.3 | 13.1% | 35.1% | 12.5% | 1990 | $1,768 | 19.8% | 74.2% | 5.1% |
| Desert Palms | 1.72 | 77.5 | 2.8% | 13.6% | 22.8% | 2000 | $2,709 | 44.2% | 95.6% | 4.0% |
| Indian Wells | 2.05 | 64.7 | 1.9% | 17.8% | 45.8% | 1987 | $2,093 | 62.1% | 96.7% | 7.7% |
| Palm Desert | 2.13 | 52.7 | 8.7% | 35.1% | 27.7% | 1985 | $1,910 | 39.4% | 93.4% | 7.0% |
| Sky Valley | 2.28 | 53.7 | 8.9% | 15.2% | 27.9% | 1983 | $1,406 | 21.5% | 84.3% | 9.7% |
| Thousand Palms | 2.95 | 42.7 | 15.3% | 25.1% | 24.6% | 1988 | $1,746 | 25.7% | 83.5% | 5.3% |
| Poston | 2.14 | 39.0 | 21.2% | 52.6% | 6.2% | 1982 | $591 | 7.4% | 68.8% | 3.9% |
| Rancho Mirage | 2.03 | 63.3 | 6.9% | 18.0% | 38.0% | 1987 | $1,978 | 45.9% | 93.6% | 9.0% |
| Desert Edge | 1.90 | 62.3 | 8.8% | 9.8% | 41.1% | 1983 | $930 | 17.0% | 87.7% | 6.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Kirklands Crossroads, AL · Chiriaco Summit, CA · La Reforma, TX · Farrington, OH · Kokadjo, ME · Fancy Hill, VA · Kleinfeltersville, PA · Errol, ME · Hawkeye, NY · Kitchen, OH
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Desert Center. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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