City comparison
Apple Valley, CA is about 60 miles (100 km) from Palm Springs, CA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Apple Valley, CA to Palm Springs, CA takes about 8 min, covering roughly 60 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Apple Valley has a population of 75,603, vs 44,935 in Palm Springs — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Palm Springs covers about 95 sq mi vs 77 sq mi for Apple Valley.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Apple Valley | Palm Springs | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,297/mo | $1,397/mo | 7.7% higher in Palm Springs |
| Median home value | $345,400 | $504,700 | 46.1% higher in Palm Springs |
| Median household income | $62,898 | $67,451 | 7.2% higher in Palm Springs |
| Groceries index | 101.7 | 101.7 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 146.5 | 146.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 101.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 101.5 | 101.5 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need $100,258 in Palm Springs to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Apple Valley and Palm Springs have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need about $80,206 in Palm Springs to keep the same standard of living.