Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0Palm Desert spent more per resident in 2022 than 77% of similar cities
Palm Desert’s city government spent $96.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $1,810 per resident.
What stands out about how Palm Desert is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,810 per resident in 2022: more than 77% of them
Palm Desert’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,810 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,263, and the middle half spent $889–$1,736. Palm Desert spent more than 77% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Palm Desert itself left out).
About $1,810 per resident a year, or $4.96 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Palm Desert reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $4,660 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.86% of the home’s value, vs 0.70% across California.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Palm Desert’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Palm Desert’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Palm Desert →
Who’s in charge in Palm Desert
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Palm Desert’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on palmdesert.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 482 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (53,524).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Desert Sands Unified School District
Palm Desert’s K–12 school district, shared with Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, Coachella. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,599 per pupil, $11,438 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal.
Palm Springs Unified School District · $22,793 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Palm Desert’s votes are counted by county
California reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Palm Desert alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Riverside County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican49.3%462,957 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat48.1%451,443 votesOthers: 2.7% (24,923 votes).
Most votes in Riverside County: Donald J Trump
California: Harris 58.5%, Trump 38.3%
100% of Palm Desert lies in Riverside County. Every 2024 race in Riverside County is on the county’s page.
Riverside County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Palm Desert.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: palmdesert.gov ↗
- 2California AssemblyState representatives
- 3California SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of California
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Palm Desert compares with the towns next door
Palm Desert spent $1,810 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,422 to $9,819. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Rancho Mirage | $2,422 | $7,326 |
| Indian Wells | $9,819 | $10,000+ |
| Palm Desert | $1,810 | $4,660 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Palm Desert’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Palm Desert’s government
How much does Palm Desert spend per resident?
About $1,810 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,810 was more than 77% of 101 California cities of 50,000–99,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Palm Desert?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,660 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.86% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.70% across California. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see palmdesert.gov.
Who runs Palm Desert’s government?
See palmdesert.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Palm Desert yet.
How did Palm Desert vote in 2024?
California counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Palm Desert alone. Riverside County, where 100% of Palm Desert lies, voted Trump 49.3%, Harris 48.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Palm Desert?
111 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $952,011 (about $11.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Palm Desert in the state legislature?
State Senate District 19 (Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh) and Assembly District 47 (Greg Wallis). The Assembly district also covers 14 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Palm Desert’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →