Is Cathedral City, CA a Good Place to Live?
Cathedral City is a mid-sized city of 51,964 in California, with a median household income of $63,209 and a 6.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 108 (US average = 100), which is 8% above the national average.
Strengths: Cathedral City stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Cathedral City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Cathedral City city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 107.9Cathedral City's overall cost of living index is 107.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Cathedral City costs roughly 8% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Cathedral City, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $381,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,445 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 64.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $63,209 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageCathedral City's violent crime rate is 283.3 per 100,000 residents — 25% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Cathedral City is served primarily by Palm Springs Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.0:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Cathedral City, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Palm Springs Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 16 | — |
| Middle Schools | 5 | — |
| High Schools | 5 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 20.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 26.0% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 80.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Cathedral City sees average highs of 70.5°F in January and 108.6°F in July, with 4.6 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Cathedral City, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 70.5°F |
| Average High — July | 108.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 4.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Cathedral City, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,964 | — |
| Median Age | 40.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 20.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 49.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.9% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36.9% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 6.9% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.0% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Cathedral City
Cathedral City, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: