Desert Hot Springs and Yucca Valley receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Measured values
| Metric | Desert Hot Springs | Yucca Valley | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,200 | 21,770 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $52,761 | $59,563 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,129 | $33,471 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,102/sq mi | 547/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $354,800 | $363,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,412 | $1,428 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.7% | 63.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.7% | 22.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.0% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 154 | 22 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.6 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -34.5% | -35.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 109°F | 109°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 48°F | 48°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 4.6" | 4.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 21 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.1 min | 30.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.5 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.51 | 20.87 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 94.8% | 67.0% | 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
Desert Hot Springs
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Yucca Valley
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, inland flooding.
Your best match
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Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Desert Hot Springs, CA · Yucca Valley, CA · How this is calculated: methodology