92253 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
92211
92253
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 35%
vs50 · Bottom 39%
Growth
58 · Top 36%
vs59 · Top 34%
Climate
57 · Bottom 7%
vs59 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
4 · Bottom 1%
vs4 · Bottom 1%
Housing affordability
51 · Bottom 14%
vs60 · Bottom 23%
Access
98 · Top 23%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 9%
vs34 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | 92211 | 92253 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,092 | 38,666 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $88,477 | $99,277 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,066 | $64,463 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,895/sq mi | 956/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $583,900 | $661,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,877 | $1,781 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 72.2% | 75.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.7% | 40.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 8.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 221 | 107 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 19.5% | 62.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 109°F | 107°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 4.6" | 3.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 11 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 63.9 | 53.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 1 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.76 | 23.62 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.0% | 79.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
92211
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
92253
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Full profiles: 92211 — Palm Desert, CA · 92253 — La Quinta, CA · How this is calculated: methodology