Twentynine Palms and Apple 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 | Twentynine Palms | Apple Valley | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,355 | 75,473 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,554 | $69,882 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,188 | $32,329 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 466/sq mi | 980/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $268,200 | $407,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,352 | $1,444 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.2% | 69.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 6.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.4% | -1.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.2% | 18.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.5% | 16.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 53 | 74 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 47.2% | -23.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 104°F | 98°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 33°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 3.9" | 5.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 33 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.7 min | 38.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 24.8 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.78 | 23.00 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 63.6% | 70.5% | 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
Twentynine Palms
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, inland flooding, earthquake.
Apple 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: Twentynine Palms, CA · Apple Valley, CA · How this is calculated: methodology