Cabot's Old Indian Pueblo Museum · Photo: Jllm06 · CC0370 homes sold in Desert Hot Springs in the last year, at a typical $400K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Desert Hot Springs homes are listed.
Every place Desert Hot Springs homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Desert Hot Springs.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 94% of Desert Hot Springs’ sales, at a typical $401K (year to May 2026)
370 homes sold in the year to September 2026.
typical sale · 362 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $247CA $494
- Days to sell
- 81
- Sold over asking
- 32%
- Listings with a price cut
- 22%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 18 sold, typical $461K
Townhouses: 2 sold, typical $301K
Condos: 2 sold, typical $138K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at 2.3 times the 2016 price
370 sales in the last year, against 537 in 2021 and a low of 370 in 2023. The typical sale went from $176K in 2016 to $400K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $400K buys in Desert Hot Springs
Check a listing against what Desert Hot Springs homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Desert Hot Springs are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Desert Hot Springs’ home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to September 2026, 370 sales.
If you’re buying in Desert Hot Springs
- Shop in January. It brings about 49 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (27% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.9% of the list price on average; 28% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 15% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 82 days.
Spring brings the homes; fall brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 54 a month), but September is the most competitive: 38% of September sales close over asking. January and February offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (27%). January has the least competition (27%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| Desert Hot Springs now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 28% | 27% | 51% | 35% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 15% | 22% | 49% | 33% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.9% | 98.2% | 101.1% | 99.9% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 82 | 69 | 43 | 43 |
160 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.4 times the 2020 low (111) and about the 2017–19 level.
Desert Hot Springs ranks 401st of 560 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Desert Hot Springs is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Desert Hot Springs home costs about $2,416 a month
Price: Desert Hot Springs’ typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Desert Hot Springs’ 1% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Desert Hot Springs is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 34.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $400K home, about $3,960 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Desert Hot Springs, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Desert Hot SpringsTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Desert Hot Springs.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; Palm Springs and Sky Valley for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Desert Hot Springs, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Springs | 1,608 | $648K | $411 | 8% | 78 |
| Cathedral City | 567 | $510K | $292 | 14% | 69 |
| Desert Hot Springs | 370 | $400K | $242 | 28% | 82 |
| Yucca Valley | 290 | $391K | $252 | 22% | 79 |
| Morongo Valley | 74 | $348K | $290 | 14% | 80 |
| Garnet | 39 | $444K | $268 | 34% | 118 |
| Sky Valley | 20 | $484K | $318 | 17% | 120 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Desert Hot Springs, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Desert Hot Springs. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Desert Hot Springs with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Desert Hot Springs
What do homes sell for in Desert Hot Springs, CA?
370 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $400K, $242 a square foot.
Is Desert Hot Springs a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 148 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 33 sold, about 4.4 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.9% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Desert Hot Springs?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Desert Hot Springs?
About 1% of a home’s value a year. On a $400K home that’s near $3,960.
Where can I see homes for sale in Desert Hot Springs?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Desert Hot Springs’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Desert Hot Springs.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).