Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.01,412 homes sold in Palm Desert in the last year, at a typical $595K
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. 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 Palm Desert homes are listed.
Every place Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert.
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.
Half of Palm Desert’s sales are condos, at $257K less than a house
623 houses and 698 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster and draw more bidding wars.
typical sale · 623 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $347CA $494
- Days to sell
- 79
- Sold over asking
- 13%
- Listings with a price cut
- 22%
typical sale · 698 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $318CA $561
- Days to sell
- 87
- Sold over asking
- 7%
- Listings with a price cut
- 22%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 5 sold, typical $870K
Townhouses: 3 sold, typical $393K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at twice the 2016 price
1,412 sales in the last year, against 2,292 in 2021 and a low of 1,263 in 2023. The typical sale went from $305K in 2016 to $595K.
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 $600K buys in Palm Desert
Check a listing against what Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Palm Desert’s 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, 1,412 sales.
If you’re buying in Palm Desert
- Shop in January. It brings about 225 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (12% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 96.2% of the list price on average; 9% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 17% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 84 days.
Winter brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
January has the most new listings (about 225 a month), but May is the most competitive: 18% of May sales close over asking. January has the least competition (12%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| Palm Desert now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 9% | 8% | 38% | 35% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 17% | 21% | 53% | 33% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 96.2% | 95.9% | 100% | 99.9% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 84 | 86 | 40 | 43 |
672 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.3 times the 2021 low (293), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2016’s 902.
Since 2019, houses are up 56%, condos 62%
A house typically sold for $738K in the year to May 2026 (623 sales), a condo for $480K (698).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Palm Desert ranks 547th of 560 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Palm Desert is one of the state’s calmer markets.
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 Palm Desert home costs about $3,531 a month
Price: Palm Desert’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Palm Desert’s 0.9% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Palm Desert is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in January
The month with the most choice. July has the fewest, about 125.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $595K home, about $5,110 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Palm Desert, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Palm DesertTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Palm Desert.
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.
Bermuda Dunes, Desert Palms, Thousand Palms and Indio sell for less a square foot; Indian Wells for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Palm Desert, 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 Desert | 1,412 | $595K | $331 | 9% | 84 |
| Indio | 994 | $540K | $279 | 14% | 87 |
| Rancho Mirage | 759 | $856K | $383 | 5% | 89 |
| Desert Palms | 327 | $523K | $289 | 6% | 74 |
| Indian Wells | 254 | $1.6M | $559 | 3% | 74 |
| Bermuda Dunes | 124 | $669K | $289 | 9% | 99 |
| Thousand Palms | 42 | $431K | $286 | 41% | 51 |
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 Palm Desert, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Palm Desert. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Palm Desert with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Palm Desert
What do homes sell for in Palm Desert, CA?
1,412 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $595K, $331 a square foot. Houses sold for about $738K, condos for about $480K in the year to May 2026.
Is Palm Desert a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A buyer’s market: 551 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 81 sold, about 6.8 months of supply. Buyers paid 96.2% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Palm Desert?
January brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Palm Desert?
About 0.9% of a home’s value a year. On a $595K home that’s near $5,110.
Where can I see homes for sale in Palm Desert?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Palm Desert’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Palm Desert.
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).