Median Income
$22,939
household / year
Median Home Value
$103,800
owner-occupied
Median Rent
N/A
gross / month
Cost of Living
100
national avg = 100

Is Desert Shores, CA a Good Place to Live?

Desert Shores is a small town of 360 in California, with a median household income of $22,939 and a 11.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 100 (US average = 100), which is 0% above the national average.

Strengths: Desert Shores stands out for below-average home prices.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Desert Shores is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Desert Shores 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: 100.1

Desert Shores's overall cost of living index is 100.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Desert Shores costs roughly 0% more than the average American city.

Metric Desert Shores, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $103,800 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent N/A $1,163
Homeownership Rate 94.9% 65.9%
Median Household Income $22,939 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Desert Shores's violent crime rate is 274.8 per 100,000 residents — 28% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
274.8 /100k
Property Crime
879.6 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Desert Shores, CA National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 0.0% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 45.5% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Desert Shores sees average highs of 70.4°F in January and 106.6°F in July, with 3.1 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricDesert Shores, CA
Average High — January70.4°F
Average High — July106.6°F
Annual Precipitation3.1"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricDesert Shores, CANational Avg
Population360—
Median Age52.638.9
Unemployment Rate11.2%3.7%
Avg Commute TimeN/A26 min
White (non-Hispanic)62.5%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino37.5%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 184.2%22.2%
65 and over39.7%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Salton Sea Beach, CA 3 mi Salton City, CA 9 mi Oasis, CA 10 mi North Shore, CA 11 mi Mecca, CA 12 mi

Desert Shores vs Other Cities

Desert Shores, CA vs Salton Sea Beach, CA Desert Shores, CA vs Salton City, CA Desert Shores, CA vs Oasis, CA Desert Shores, CA vs North Shore, CA Desert Shores, CA vs Mecca, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Desert Shores's cost of living index is 100, where 100 is the national average. That puts Desert Shores roughly 0% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $103,800 and median rent is N/A/month.
Desert Shores's violent crime rate is 274.8 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 879.6 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Desert Shores, CA has a population of 360, a median household income of $22,939, and an unemployment rate of 11.2%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Desert Shores averages 70.4°F in January and 106.6°F in July. Annual rainfall is 3.1 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Desert Shores, California is 360 with a median age of 52.6. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Desert Shores: cost of living index 100 (100 = US average), median home $103,800, median household income $22,939, crime index 60 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Desert Shores side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.