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Is La Quinta, CA a Good Place to Live?
La Quinta is a small city of 37,933 in California, with a median household income of $92,776 and a 8.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 108 (US average = 100), which is 8% above the national average.
Strengths: La Quinta stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether La Quinta is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All La Quinta 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: 107.9La Quinta's overall cost of living index is 107.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in La Quinta costs roughly 8% more than the average American city.
| Metric | La Quinta, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $560,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,774 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $92,776 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageLa Quinta's violent crime rate is 177.1 per 100,000 residents — 53% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
La Quinta is served primarily by Desert Sands Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.7:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | La Quinta, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Desert Sands Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 19 | — |
| Middle Schools | 7 | — |
| High Schools | 7 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 23.7:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 38.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
La Quinta sees average highs of 70.3°F in January and 105.8°F in July, with 2.9 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | La Quinta, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 70.3°F |
| Average High — July | 105.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 2.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | La Quinta, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,933 | — |
| Median Age | 51.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 26.5 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 65.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 24.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.7% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 30.1% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in La Quinta
La Quinta, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: