Rents are 13% below what Palm Desert's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,749 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
July. Asking rents in Palm Desert usually run 2.2% below trend in July and 1.9% above it in December, about $113 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Palm Desert is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Palm Desert changed +4.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 336 California cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Palm Desert rose 55.9% while median household income rose 29.2% ($59,977 to $77,513). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Palm Desert is 57.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 10 months in a row, and rose in 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($77,513) is $1,938 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a studio ($1,865); a 1-bedroom is $1,945.
Cathedral City, 8 miles away, rents for 15% less ($2,343/mo), about $4,900 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Palm Desert. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Palm Desert, CA is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, 40.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Palm Desert, CA has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Palm Desert, CA has shifted from $2,021 to $2,749, up 36.0% since 2021. Household income in the area moved from $67,514 to $77,513 across the same window, up 14.8% versus 2021. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Palm Desert, CA adding about 909 residents over the five-year window, up 1.8% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 38.7% to 40.7% across the same window. Reading these numbers side by side helps frame whether current listings in Palm Desert, CA look reasonable against where the market sat half a decade ago.
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Can you afford rent in Palm Desert on your salary?
At $2,749/mo, how Palm Desert rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Palm Desert rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Palm Desert. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Palm Desert
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Palm Desert is $2,749/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,865/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,420/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,945/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $3,230/mo.
At 43% of local median household income ($77,513/yr), Palm Desert ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Palm Desert?
At $2,749/mo, rent takes ~43% of Palm Desert's median household income ($77,513/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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