Livability Score

51
/100
i The AreaVibes Livability Score evaluates 9 different categories and creates an overall score out of 100. The higher the score, the better the area.

amenities F

There are not many amenities close to this location.
Coffee (8) F
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Dining Hall
Coffee Shop
Ding Tea
Coffee Shop
Daily Grill
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Barnes & Noble Cafe
Coffee Shop
Fairway Grille
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Coffee Shop
Koffi
Coffee Shop
Entertainment (12) F
Performing Arts Center
Theatre Arts
Unknown Name
Theatre Arts
Heather James Fine Art
Art Gallery
Theatre
Theatre Arts
Pollock Theatre
Theatre Arts
Art
Theatre Arts
Art
Theatre Arts
Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts
Art Gallery
McCallum Theater
Theatre Arts
Palm Desert 10
Cinema
Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden
Attraction
Artists Center at The Galen
Art Gallery
Century Theatres at The River
Cinema
The Living Desert
Zoo
Unknown Name
Stadium
Sunnylands Center & Gardens
Attraction
Food and Drink (16) F
Carl's Jr.
Fast Food
Panera Bread
Fast Food
Swirlyz Yogurt
Sweets
Arby's
Fast Food
McDonald's
Fast Food
IW Club
Bar
Schmidy's Tavern
Bar
Subway
Fast Food
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Sweets
Beach House Frozen Yogurt
Fast Food
Chipotle
Fast Food
Tilted Kilt
Bar
Pool Bar
Bar
Total Wine
Alcohol
Jack in the Box
Fast Food
Subway
Fast Food
Jack in the Box
Fast Food
Wienerschnitzel
Fast Food
Carl's Jr.
Fast Food
Fitness (4) F
Unknown Name
Community Centre
Training Room
Gym
Kenenth Wayne Simonds Athletic Performance Center
Gym
Unknown Name
Community Centre
Unknown Name
Community Centre
Bermuda Dunes Community Center
Community Centre
Groceries (11) F
Albertsons
Grocery Store
Ralphs
Grocery Store
Bristol Markets
Grocery Store
Mediterranean Bakery
Bakery
Trader Joe's
Grocery Store
Walmart Neighborhood Market
Grocery Store
Whole Foods Market
Grocery Store
Smart & Final
Grocery Store
ALDI
Grocery Store
Albertsons
Grocery Store
Ralphs
Grocery Store
Parks (19) F
Magnesia Falls City Park
Park
Hovley Soccer Park
Park
Civic Center Park
Park
Tot Lot
Playground
Unknown Name
Playground
Palma Village Park
Park
Alumni Park
Park
Washington Charter School Park
Park
The Gardens at El Paseo
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
Unknown Name
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
University Park East
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
Ironwood Park
Park
Rancho Mirage Community Park
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
Joe Mann Park
Park
Freedom Park
Park
Whitehawk Park
Park
Unknown Name
Playground
Shops (47) F
Karen Harlow for the Home
Furniture
Compliments
Clothing
Jay's Jewelers
Fashion
Antwan Collections
Clothing
The Village Salon at Indian Wells
Hairdresser
Desert Home & Candle Gallery
Clothing
JV Nail Salon
Beauty
Premium Vision Care
Optician
Angels Crossing Floral Design Studio
Florist
Serena's Golf & Resort Wear
Clothing
Marga's Repeat Boutique
Clothing
Louis Vuitton
Clothing
True Religion
Clothing
Cole Haan
Shoes
Williams-Sonoma
Houseware
UNO de 50
Clothing
Sephora
Beauty
Tumi
Fashion
MAC Cosmetics
Beauty
Apple Store
Electronics
Banana Republic
Clothing
Kate Spade New York
Clothing
Lucky Brand
Clothing
Janie & Jack
Clothing
New Balance
Shoes
See more Palm Desert amenity data

commute F

Of all people who commute, 1.5% take public transportation in Palm Desert.
Public Transit Stops (4)
Stops & Stations
F
Unknown Name
Bus Stop
Palm Desert, Ca (PDC)
Bus Stop
Cal State University San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus (CSUSB-PDC)
Bus Stop
Rancho Mirage - Eisenhower Medical Center
Bus Stop
Unknown Name
Bus Stop
Unknown Name
Bus Stop
Workers Taking Public Transit
1.5%
F
See more Palm Desert commute data

cost of living F

The cost of living in Palm Desert is 134/100 - which is 4% lower than California.
Cost of Living
Goods & Services, Housing, etc.
F
Tax Rates
Income & Sales Tax
F
See more Palm Desert cost of living data

crime D-

Palm Desert crime rates are 4,249 per 100k, which is 49% higher than California
Property Crime
3,898 crimes per 100k
F
Violent Crime
351 crimes per 100k
C
See more Palm Desert crime data

employment B+

The median income in Palm Desert is $64,295 - which is 1% higher than California.
Med. Household Income
$64,295
C
Unemployment Rate
2.2%
A+
See more Palm Desert employment data

health F

There are not many hospitals, police and fire stations,
Health & Safety (12)
Dentist, Doctor, Hospital, etc.
F
Palm Desert Sheriff Substation
Police
CVS Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Indian Wells Dental
Dentist
Indian Wells Chiropractic Clinic
Doctor
Palm Desert North Fire Station #71
Fire Station
Public Safety
Police
Rite Aid
Pharmacy
Indian Wells Police (Riverside County Sheriff) sub station
Police
Riverside County Fire Department Station #55
Fire Station
Walgreens
Pharmacy
Rite Aid
Pharmacy
Riverside County Fire Department Station #33
Fire Station
Eisenhower Medical Center
Hospital
Riverside County Fire Department Station #67
Fire Station
Palm Desert Sheriff Station
Police
Emmanuel Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Riverside County Fire Department Station #50
Fire Station
Air Quality
Median Air Quality
F
See more Palm Desert health & safety data

housing B

Palm Desert home prices are $361,200 - which is 12% lower than California
Home Price
$361,200
A+
Home Appreciation Rate
12%
A-
Home Affordability
5.6x (home price to income ratio)
F
See more Palm Desert housing data

schools A-

The Palm Desert graduation rate is 90% - which is 13% higher than California
School Test Scores
57%
D+
High School Grad. Rates
90%
B+
Elementary Schools (13) A
Palm Desert Charter Middle
Sacred Heart School
Abraham Lincoln Elementary
Morning Stars Learning Program
James Earl Carter Elementary
Montessori School Of The Desert
George Washington Charter
Montessori School Of The Valley
The Academy Pdpcp
Gerald R. Ford Elementary
Ronald Reagan Elementary
Rancho Mirage Elementary
Palm Desert Learning Tree Center
Tot Stop Preschool
Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle
James Monroe Elementary
Desert Christian Academy
High Schools (3) F
Palm Desert High
Summit High (Continuation)
Desert Christian Academy
See more Palm Desert education data

ratings F

Palm Desert has an overall rating of 46% from 34 reviews.
User Reviews (14)
From AreaVibes
F
User Surveys (20)
From AreaVibes
B+
See more Palm Desert user rating data
Amenities Commute Cost of Living Crime Employment Health & Safety Housing Schools User Ratings
Photo of Palm Desert, CA
( 34 Ratings )

Living in Palm Desert, CA

Palm Desert Area Facts

  • Palm Desert has a Livability Score of 51/100, which is considered poor
  • Palm Desert crime rates are 49% higher than the California average
  • Cost of living in Palm Desert is 4% lower than the California average
New Real Estate Listings in Palm Desert Area
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Palm Desert Reviews

Write a review about Palm Desert Tell people what you like or don't like about Palm Desert…
Worst City Ever 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Nov 06, 2021) Palm Desert is the worst city ever. People are always stuffy and rude every time. Traffic is everywhere and drivers keep cutting people off. The stoplights will go on for half an hour to turn green. Every store is crowded with rude people. ...Read More Read Less
BEAUTIFUL PLACE to visit or live!!! 5 rating By Anonymous ( Jul 15, 2021) Palm Desert is a beautiful place, wonderful people and great food! Clearly the admin of this page isn't paying attention, because the last few review(s) are spam (they all say the same thing). Palm desert offers so much, from shopping, restaurants, hiking, and it's located in-bet ...Read More ween so much.... casinos, palm springs, Coachella, etc. Just an hour and a half from San Diego or LA. Fantastic place to live or visit!!! Two thumbs up! Read Less
Palm Desert is Full of Rude People 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( May 10, 2021) Palm Desert has the worst people ever. The people are rude. One old man who has a bald spot on his head and has a shirt shirt and brown shorts is mocking people for no reason at a Kaiser Grille in Palm Desert, CA. ...Read More Read Less
Palm Desert is full of Mean People 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 28, 2020) This place is full of people who will make fun of your face in front of your face. One Old woman in a white shirt with light brown hair is mocking people for no reason at the Westfield Mall in Palm Desert. Do NOT go to Palm Desert. ...Read More Read Less
Show All Reviews
Palm Desert is Full of Rude People 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( May 10, 2021) Palm Desert has the worst people ever. The people are rude. One old man who has a bald spot on his head and has a shirt shirt and brown shorts is mocking people for no reason at a Kaiser Grille in Palm Desert, CA. ...Read More Read Less
Palm Desert is full of Mean People 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 28, 2020) This place is full of people who will make fun of your face in front of your face. One Old woman in a white shirt with light brown hair is mocking people for no reason at the Westfield Mall in Palm Desert. Do NOT go to Palm Desert. ...Read More Read Less
Good Shopping Bad People 1.5 rating By Anonymous ( Jun 24, 2020) The shopping is great with a variety of products in each area, but the people are rude smart alecks. Palm Desert, California stores have these mean people who will make fun of you for no reason. This is a terrible place to live in. ...Read More Read Less
California is Crazy 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Mar 25, 2020) California is full of rude cowards who will shut down everything in the state. There are some states that still open stores and restaurants, but California is gone crazy. Californians are more bad than the number of people infected by the virus in any state. ...Read More Read Less
An Overall Great, Friendly and Safe Place to Live! 5 rating By Roralie ( Mar 23, 2020) In my opinion, Palm Desert is an excellent place to live for people of all ages. Very active community with outdoor activities. Beautiful Mountain views and the sun shines nearly year-round. Lots of recreational options like Hiking, Biking, Soccer Fields, Golf Courses, Pools and ...Read More Parks. Tons of options for shopping and dining. It has a few colleges as well and is overall quite enough to provide a great place to focus on studies. I feel Cost of Living is excellent (for California). I feel the city of Palm Desert caters more towards families and older adults, as there isn't a ton of nightlife options for the 20 - 30 age crowd. Palm Springs is very closeby (20 mins) and has a great nightlife scene, however! Los Angeles is an hour away and the San Diego / the Beach is only about 2 hours. Only a 4-hour drive to Vegas and Phoenix as well. Stays warm here throughout the year here and has seasonal tourism during the winter (Snowbirds) but it's Southern California, so that's pretty expected. Summers get very hot. As the city name implies, it is a Desert after all, haha. Joshua Tree National Park and more are very nearby as well. Metro area here is pretty similar to the Boise, ID metro area if you were to trade their cold and rough winters for a hot summer. Read Less
People in California are Sheep 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Mar 17, 2020) The people in Palm Desert, California are sheep that will believe anything the media tells them to do. They are desperate to get anything on the shelf at a grocery store. They became more dumber when going to a grocery store. There are a few store that most sheep would go to that ...Read More some of them broke into a couple of fights. Everything in Palm Desert is has been shut down because of a virus. These people are stuffy sheep that would run away from a few weeds. Read Less
Old Rude Men 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Nov 01, 2019) Palm Desert is full of old men who are rude. At Revivals in Palm Desert, California, there is an old man wearing a grey shirt and a grey cap with white hair in a ponytail and he is being extremely rude and is bullying a few people near the cash register. What kind of friendly atm ...Read More osphere is this? This store is full of rude people. Read Less
Palm Desert is Dangerous 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 22, 2019) There are illegal immigrants in Palm Desert, CA who are attempting to abduct people while driving a car. One has a white shirt and the other one has a light blue shirt and both of them are stalking and mocking people while driving a dark blue Honda with a red and blue sticker on ...Read More the window. Read Less
Westfield Mall is Bad 2 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 15, 2019) The Westfield Mall in Palm Desert has the most busiest places. The people just walk up on the street without taking caution. There were two teen girls who did that. There is a LOT of theft in the mall. There is a teen girl with black hair and glasses wearing a black shirt who was ...Read More loitering and wanting to steal something from a Gamestop. The Westfield Mall has the meanest kind of people there is. Read Less
Palm Desert is the Worst City. 1 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 01, 2019) Palm Desert is the worst city as the title implies. At the Westfield Mall, there were like a large group of teenagers who are being extremely rude and mocking people for no reason. Do they even have manners? Do NOT go to Palm Desert. ...Read More Read Less
Palm Desert is full of Rude People 1 rating By Anonymous ( Sep 24, 2019) Palm Desert, California is full of rude people. They will do nothing but make fun of your face every day. There is a white guy who is with a girl with light brown hair at a 99 Cent Store in a white shirt who is mocking people's faces for no reason. He'll end up breaking up that g ...Read More irl. Read Less
Spending Ten Years in Palm Desert, CA 4 rating By Anonymous ( Apr 17, 2015) Palm Desert is undoubtedly the vibrant, living desert in California. I lived here for ten years before I moved to Los Angeles permanently. If you like hot and arid weather, then you are going to love it here. Sometimes, weather can be very dry and humid. Palm Desert is more known ...Read More for its lifestyle. I admit that this city embodies a significant and notable lifestyle featuring luxury, style and opulence. Neighborhoods in Palm Desert are posh and lavish. No wonder, this city holds the rank for the exceptionally livable city in California.

What I like about the city, apart from its lifestyle and trendy communities, is the cost of living. Compared to many other cities in California, the housing price and cost of living is affordable here. In fact, Palm Desert's cost of living is affordable when all factors such as healthcare, transportation, gas price, utilities and groceries are taken into the consideration. Another thing I love about Palm Desert is the attractions and activity choices. The city has the famous Living Desert Zoo ideal for guests of all ages.

Those with kids will be happy to know that all the school districts in Palm Desert have good ratings. The Palm Desert High School is the main high school here. The College of the Desert and the extension campus of both University of California Riverside and the California State University San Bernardino are major higher-education hubs in the city.

What I don't like about Palm Desert is its employment and business opportunities. Although the city is a vacation hub in California, the employment rates in other sectors are comparatively low. If you work in hospitality and tourism industry, then Palm Desert is a better place for you to find good employment opportunities.
Read Less

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Awful
25
Poor
50
Average
75
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Compare Palm Desert, CA Livability

      vs

      F Amenities

      Are there many local amenities in Palm Desert? Well, there are not many amenities close to this location.

      Parks

      Magnesia Falls City Park
      Hovley Soccer Park
      Civic Center Park
      Tot Lot
      Unknown Name
      Palma Village Park
      Alumni Park
      Washington Charter School Park

      Entertainment

      Performing Arts Center
      Unknown Name
      Heather James Fine Art
      Theatre
      Pollock Theatre
      Art
      Art
      Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts

      Food & Drink

      Carl's Jr.
      Panera Bread
      Swirlyz Yogurt
      Arby's
      McDonald's
      IW Club
      Schmidy's Tavern
      Subway

      F Commute

      Is public transit available in Palm Desert? Of all people who commute, 1.5% take public transportation in Palm Desert.
      Drive to Work
      69%

      7% lower than the US average

      Take Public Transit
      2%

      4% lower than the US average

      Walk to Work
      2%

      1% lower than the US average

      B- Health & Safety

      Is Palm Desert a healthy and safe place to live? Yes, there are some hospitals, police and fire stations.

      Hospitals

      Pharmacies

      Rite Aid
      Emmanuel Pharmacy
      Sam's Club Pharmacy
      Walmart Pharmacy
      Walgreens
      Rite Aid

      Doctors