Population 35,601 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Desert Hot Springs
Household size in Desert Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.95 | 3.35 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.98 | 3.43 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 3.42 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.02 | 3.34 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Desert Hot Springs are large by national standards, averaging 3.02 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Still, the typical household here is smaller than in the Riverside area as a whole, where it has 3.34 people. Household size has crept up from 2.95 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.3 | 33.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.9 | 34.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.5 | 35.9 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.6 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +3.4 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Desert Hot Springs is 36.6 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 33.3, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the center.
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 Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 15.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.3% | 14.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.8% | 14.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in six households in Desert Hot Springs (17.8%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 3.2 points, even as the national share fell. Desert Hot Springs has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five California cities.
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 Hot Springs
Renters in Desert Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.4% | 32.3% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 51.9% | 36.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.5% | 36.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 44.6% | 34.2% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in Desert Hot Springs than nationally: 44.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 35.5% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the west. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 0.8 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.5% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.8% | 10.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.1% | 9.4% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −13.1 pts | −4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Desert Hot Springs than nationally: 11.4%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 13.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1983 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1984 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1984 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Desert Hot Springs has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1984 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $907 | $1,287 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $983 | $1,332 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,071 | $1,549 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,558 | $2,083 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$651 | +$796 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Desert Hot Springs runs $1,558 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the Riverside area as a whole ($2,083). Rents are up $651 a month from 2006–10, a 72% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 36.3% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Hot Springs
Bachelor's degrees in Desert Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.5% | 19.2% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 19.4% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 21.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 24.0% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Desert Hot Springs have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 4.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the center.
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 Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.9% | 77.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 69.6% | 78.6% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 75.4% | 80.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 77.3% | 82.5% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +4.6 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in Desert Hot Springs never finished high school, well above the national share: only 77.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 6.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Hot Springs
| Period | Desert Hot Springs | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 11.4% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 14.4% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.9 pts | −4.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Desert Hot Springs: 6.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 7.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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 Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs | 3.02 | 36.6 | 17.8% | 44.6% | 11.4% | 1989 | $1,558 | 16.1% | 77.3% | 6.6% |
| Garnet | 2.80 | 38.6 | 16.0% | 33.1% | 10.8% | 1992 | $1,490 | 20.7% | 74.1% | 5.0% |
| North Palm Springs | 2.84 | 41.9 | 6.4% | 29.7% | 20.8% | 1989 | $1,830 | 21.4% | 77.9% | 1.0% |
| Desert Edge | 1.90 | 62.3 | 8.8% | 9.8% | 41.1% | 1983 | $930 | 17.0% | 87.7% | 6.0% |
| Sky Valley | 2.28 | 53.7 | 8.9% | 15.2% | 27.9% | 1983 | $1,406 | 21.5% | 84.3% | 9.7% |
| Morongo Valley | 2.47 | 43.5 | 17.9% | 28.6% | 9.6% | 1972 | $1,334 | 17.5% | 89.3% | 8.6% |
| Palm Springs | 1.99 | 55.4 | 7.0% | 33.6% | 30.5% | 1980 | $1,769 | 42.8% | 91.9% | 7.1% |
| Cathedral City | 2.95 | 42.3 | 12.8% | 33.8% | 12.0% | 1987 | $1,746 | 22.0% | 78.5% | 6.3% |
| White Water | 2.92 | 41.9 | 11.9% | 19.2% | 12.1% | 1996 | $1,151 | 9.6% | 84.1% | 16.1% |
| Snow Creek | 2.51 | 46.2 | 10.3% | 22.4% | 20.6% | 1990 | $1,160 | 22.4% | 85.4% | 11.1% |
| Thousand Palms | 2.95 | 42.7 | 15.3% | 25.1% | 24.6% | 1988 | $1,746 | 25.7% | 83.5% | 5.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Staunton, VA · Fairhope, AL · Farmers Branch, TX · Farmington, MN · Gaffney, SC · Greenfield, IN · Huntington, NY · Kingston, NY · Mount Airy, NC · Patillas, PR
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 Hot Springs. 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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