Population 7,188 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Thermal
Household size in Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.38 | 3.35 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.68 | 3.43 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.91 | 3.42 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.11 | 3.34 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.28 | −0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Thermal is a place of big households: 3.11 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 Riverside area overall, where it has 3.34 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.38, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.9 | 33.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.6 | 34.6 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.8 | 35.9 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.3 | 37.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.4 | +3.4 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Thermal is 38.3 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 32.9 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the southeast.
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 Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 15.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 15.7% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 14.4% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.2% | 14.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Thermal (16.2%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Thermal
Renters in Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.4% | 32.3% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 40.9% | 36.6% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.0% | 36.7% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.9% | 34.2% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over three in ten households in Thermal rent their homes (30.9%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 79.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southeast.
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 Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.0% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 10.9% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.4% | 9.4% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −4.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Thermal: 15.5% of homes are empty, 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 fallen 2.5 points, as it has 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 Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1983 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1984 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1984 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1986 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Thermal was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in the Riverside area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1986. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $661 | $1,287 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $846 | $1,332 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $667 | $1,549 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,083 | $2,083 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$421 | +$796 | +$931 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Thermal costs $1,083 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $421 a month from 2006–10, a 64% jump, roughly in step with the nation. The typical renter here spends 33.2% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the north; the highest are in the southeast.
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 Thermal
Bachelor's degrees in Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 19.2% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 19.4% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 21.2% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 24.0% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Thermal have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 8.0%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the southeast. Only 35 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.0% | 77.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 51.4% | 78.6% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 48.9% | 80.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 52.3% | 82.5% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +4.6 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly half of adults in Thermal never finished high school, well above the national share: only 52.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.3 points, as it has nationally. Of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people, only 17 have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Thermal
| Period | Thermal | Riverside area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.4% | 11.4% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 22.6% | 14.4% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −13.1 pts | −4.6 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Thermal than nationally: unemployment was 7.3%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 13.1 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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).
Thermal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal | 3.11 | 38.3 | 16.2% | 30.9% | 15.5% | 1982 | $1,083 | 8.0% | 52.3% | 7.3% |
| Oasis | 3.51 | 30.5 | 16.3% | 41.5% | 8.6% | 1989 | $897 | 1.7% | 21.6% | 14.1% |
| One Hundred Palms | 3.90 | 28.4 | 22.8% | 39.5% | 0.8% | 2008 | $797 | 0.7% | 21.8% | 18.7% |
| Mecca | 3.26 | 30.8 | 22.6% | 44.2% | 10.5% | 1991 | $971 | 4.6% | 36.3% | 9.0% |
| Vista Santa Rosa | 3.25 | 40.2 | 15.2% | 26.1% | 27.1% | 1991 | $1,857 | 20.4% | 74.2% | 2.7% |
| Valerie | 2.13 | 49.3 | 8.0% | 35.2% | 47.3% | 1993 | $2,301 | 35.4% | 67.0% | 10.7% |
| Coachella | 3.66 | 34.3 | 14.0% | 35.2% | 3.3% | 1995 | $1,555 | 8.3% | 56.1% | 9.3% |
| North Shore | 3.63 | 31.0 | 4.7% | 13.1% | 6.7% | 1995 | $1,226 | 3.1% | 34.7% | 10.2% |
| La Quinta | 2.49 | 50.1 | 9.0% | 24.1% | 28.4% | 1996 | $2,012 | 40.2% | 92.3% | 7.1% |
| Pinyon Pines | 2.83 | 38.7 | 17.2% | 15.9% | 28.6% | 1990 | $1,333 | 23.9% | 79.4% | 13.6% |
| Mountain Center | 2.57 | 49.2 | 20.8% | 11.0% | 32.2% | 1986 | $1,561 | 33.8% | 89.5% | 6.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sayre, PA · Rumson, NJ · Runnemede, NJ · Rutland, MA · Rutledge, TN · Salado, TX · Salem, AL · Salem, MO · Salem, NJ · Salida, CO
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 Thermal. 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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