Population 7,253 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Joshua Tree
Household size in Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.31 | 3.35 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 3.43 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.28 | 3.42 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.29 | 3.34 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Joshua Tree is a place of small households, averaging 2.29 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center. Only 49 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
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 Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.4 | 33.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.1 | 34.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.3 | 35.9 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.5 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.1 | +3.4 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.5, Joshua Tree is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 39.4 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the south.
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 Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.7% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 15.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 14.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 14.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −11.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Joshua Tree: 8.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 11.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Joshua Tree
Renters in Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.9% | 32.3% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 46.2% | 36.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.6% | 36.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.5% | 34.2% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Joshua Tree is about as common as it is nationally: 32.5% of households rent, against 34.8%. More than four in ten owners (44.5%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the west. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.7 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.6% | 10.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.5% | 9.4% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.4% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +13.7 pts | −4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 36.4% of the housing in Joshua Tree, 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 13.7 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1983 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1984 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1984 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Joshua Tree run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980.
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 Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $865 | $1,287 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $885 | $1,332 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,013 | $1,549 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,436 | $2,083 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$571 | +$796 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Joshua Tree costs $1,436 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $571 a month since 2006–10, up 66%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 37.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the center.
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 Joshua Tree
Bachelor's degrees in Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.4% | 19.2% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.2% | 19.4% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.4% | 21.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.0% | 24.0% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Joshua Tree (27.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. That is in line with the rest of the Riverside area. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.6 points, mirroring the country.
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 Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.5% | 77.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.0% | 78.6% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.3% | 80.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.0% | 82.5% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +4.6 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Joshua Tree have finished high school as nationally: 88.0%, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in the wider Riverside area (82.5%). The share with a diploma has risen 3.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Joshua Tree
| Period | Joshua Tree | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.5% | 11.4% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 21.5% | 14.4% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.4 pts | −4.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in Joshua Tree is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is lower than in the wider Riverside area (6.8%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 10.4 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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).
Joshua Tree 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Tree | 2.29 | 44.5 | 8.1% | 32.5% | 36.4% | 1975 | $1,436 | 27.0% | 88.0% | 5.2% |
| Sunfair | 1.91 | 39.9 | 6.8% | 20.6% | 42.5% | 1965 | $1,616 | 39.2% | 92.1% | 27.6% |
| Yucca Valley | 2.47 | 40.9 | 16.9% | 35.2% | 13.9% | 1978 | $1,519 | 22.5% | 90.7% | 6.5% |
| Homestead Valley | 2.10 | 49.9 | 12.8% | 10.6% | 39.6% | 1964 | $1,171 | 18.8% | 86.3% | 10.0% |
| Pioneertown | 2.02 | 56.5 | 7.8% | 21.4% | 28.7% | 1967 | $1,683 | 22.7% | 88.1% | 9.8% |
| Twentynine Palms | 2.75 | 28.8 | 10.0% | 56.6% | 14.7% | 1987 | $1,456 | 26.4% | 94.5% | 5.1% |
| Morongo Valley | 2.47 | 43.5 | 17.9% | 28.6% | 9.6% | 1972 | $1,334 | 17.5% | 89.3% | 8.6% |
| Rimrock | 1.80 | 62.3 | 5.0% | 28.0% | 41.8% | 1965 | $1,900 | 23.3% | 87.1% | 12.7% |
| Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base | 2.03 | 48.2 | 12.8% | 28.5% | 32.3% | 1967 | $1,217 | 21.1% | 92.2% | 9.8% |
| Big Bear | 2.06 | 54.4 | 15.6% | 30.2% | 61.8% | 1980 | $1,947 | 33.6% | 94.8% | 10.6% |
| Sugarloaf | 2.00 | 55.8 | 16.5% | 33.8% | 66.5% | 1979 | $1,900 | 36.0% | 95.7% | 9.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Tijeras, NM · Terry, MS · Thermal, CA · Stafford Springs, CT · Thompsonville, CT · St. Pete Beach, FL · Canton, TX · Cape Elizabeth, ME · Thousand Palms, CA · Tiburon, CA
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 Joshua Tree. 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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