Should I Move To
Palm Springs, California is home to about 44,935 people. On cost of living, it lands in the expensive band — 17% above the national average. The median renter pays around $1,397 a month against a typical household income of $67,451. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 35 out of 100 (grade F), putting it at #904 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Palm Springs's composite cost-of-living index lands at 117 (100 = US average), which puts it in the expensive band. At $1,397/mo against $67,451 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 25% of income on housing — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Median home value sits around $504,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is hot-summer — summer averages around 103°F, winter averages around 37°F. Precipitation totals about 4 inches a year. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. Air quality reads good (AQI 37).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Palm Springs doesn't obviously fit families. It earns 42/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on environmental quality (80/100); weakest on climate (7/100).
Palm Springs doesn't obviously fit retirees. It earns 33/100 (grade F) on the retirees profile. Strongest on environmental quality (80/100); weakest on climate (7/100).
Palm Springs doesn't obviously fit remote workers. It earns 36/100 (grade F) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on environmental quality (80/100); weakest on climate (7/100).
Palm Springs doesn't obviously fit young professionals. It earns 24/100 (grade F) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on environmental quality (80/100); weakest on climate (7/100).
Palm Springs, California pulls a 35/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade F), currently ranked #904 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Palm Springs's cost-of-living index is 117 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 17% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,397/mo.
Hot-summer — summer averages around 103°F, winter averages around 37°F, with about 4 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 40/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
Palm Springs has about 44,935 residents, 44% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 57.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Palm Springs head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Palm Springs stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Palm Springs with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.