Yucca Valley 2008r, 2008
Yucca Valley’s story
81 years in pictures
Census counts: 3,893 in 1970, 21,738 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1955 on.
- 1945Yucca Valley is settled
Yucca ValleyCA
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Toglenn · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
21,887
2025 Census estimate · +0.7% since 2020
Typical home
$354K
−0.4% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
39.1
years
Jobs based here
4,295
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#754 of 841 in CA
Is Yucca Valley a good place to live?
Yucca Valley earns a D−, ranked 754th of 841 in California, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $60K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it has 88 miles of trail. Yucca Valley’s trail density is 2.2 miles per square mile, above both the California town median (1.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 9 of California’s 1,063 towns score lower on history. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 90% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top.
What makes Yucca Valley stand out
Where Yucca Valley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
85% of working residents leave Yucca Valley for work
Where Yucca Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,295jobs based in Yucca Valley
15%of working residents work in town
57 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Yucca Valley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Yucca Valley is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →HealthHi-Desert Medical Center 8.3 miles awayCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.6 of 20; 7.4% of households have no car; 3.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6% conserved landA−Open →History1 notable person born hereD−Open →Civic life3.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market62 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.1; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 40 attractions →Joshua Tree National Park and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Yucca Valley. Close and well known come first.
Big draw2 mi National ParkJoshua Tree National Park2.9M visitors a year
23 mi MountainSan Gorgonio Mountain
24 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Arena
26 mi MountainSan Jacinto Peak
33 mi LakeBig Bear Lake21 mi LandmarkForest Lawn CemeterySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Joshua Tree National Park: Sergiy Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · San Gorgonio Mountain: Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Acrisure Arena: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · San Jacinto Peak: Wattewyl, CC BY 3.0 · Big Bear Lake: H.G. Judd, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Yucca Valley: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Yucca Valley, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHi Desert WD water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Yucca Valley’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSan Bernardino Registrar of VotersSan Bernardino County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9228492284 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Yucca Valley.
Yucca Valley has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has home values still below their peak.
OutdoorsA−
Yucca Valley has set aside 6.3% of its land for conservation
The biggest place to walk is Mojave Desert Land Trust, 622 acres with 7.4 miles of trail.
#140for trails in CA
6.3%
conserved · 1,596 of 25,362 acres
88 mi
of trails · 2.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mojave Desert Land Trust | 7.4 mi | 622 |
| 2. Brehm Park | 0.5 mi | 12 |
| 3. Essig Park | 0.3 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC
Yucca Valley’s public schools trail 71% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Morongo Unified school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Yucca Valley High, with 1,168 students.
29%of CA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Contenta MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 647 | C− |
| Yucca Valley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,168 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade C−
Homes in Yucca Valley are worth about $354K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical value, about $354K, is 12% below its July 2022 peak.
The typical Yucca Valley home is worth about $354,000, about the same as a year ago, 54% below the California typical home. Yucca Valley’s median rent is $1,428 a month, where California’s towns sit at $1,898 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
$354KZillow home value
| Yucca Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,428 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Yucca Valley$354K
California$762K
Market temperature
62
days on market
97.4%
sale-to-list price
−0.4%
value change, 1 year
30
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Yucca Valley
Since 2003, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Yucca Valley.
90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
24
paid flood claims since 2003
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of Yucca Valley’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Yucca Valley for work: only 15% work in town. 7.8% of workers work from home in Yucca Valley. Jobs based in Yucca Valley grew to 4,295 in 2023, 215 more than in 2013.
15%work in town
| Yucca Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Yucca Valley15%
Palm Springs5%
Los Angeles5%
Twentynine Palms3%
Joshua Tree3%
57 mi
median commute distance
4,295
jobs based in Yucca Valley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 67% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Yucca Valley is less healthy than 70% of U.S. towns
Against the 8,788 U.S. towns with household incomes like Yucca Valley’s, it is less healthy than 52%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Yucca Valley beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 17% of Yucca Valley adults report frequent physical distress.
30%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Yucca Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 22% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better16 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Yucca Valley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 74.7% | 71.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 5.1% |
Hi-Desert Medical Center
8.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
23rd
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Yucca Valley, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Yucca Valley weather station records that about 109 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.6°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36.8°.
Yucca Valley has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Yucca Valley is 96°F. About 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
2″snow a winter
| Yucca Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 37°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–59°
Spring47–73°
Summer65–94°
Fall52–78°
Nov 28
typical first frost
Mar 14
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Yucca Valley
Yucca Valley's reported crime rate is below California's. Yucca Valley’s violent crime rate is 5.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Yucca Valley | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.3 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Yucca Valley5.3
California4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Yucca Valley10.8
California18.2
U.S.15.5
117
violent crimes reported in 2025
236
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Yucca Valley
20pages on Yucca Valley
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 71% of CA districts · 5 schoolsSafety5.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than CA on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$354K typical home · down 0.4% in a yearWork & commuteD$60K median household income · 4,295 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 90% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Yucca Valley
About 5 of every 100 Yucca Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Yucca Valley
Town in California, United States
Yucca Valley is an incorporated town in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 21,738 as of the 2020 census. Yucca Valley lies 20 miles (32 km) north of Palm Springs, and 49 miles (79 km) east of San Bernardino. Bordered to the south by the Joshua Tree National Park and to the west by the San Bernardino Mountains, the town of Yucca Valley is located in the Mojave Desert at roughly 3,300 feet (1,000 m) above sea level.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1971
- Area
- 40 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,369 ft
- ZIP code
- 92284, 92286
- Area code
- 760
Yucca Valley’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Yucca Valley.
Joshua TreeYucca Valley
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yucca Valley | #754 | D− | C− | — | C | C |
| Joshua Tree | #617 | D | C+ | — | C | C+ |
Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Yucca Valley with a neighbor →
Questions about Yucca Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Yucca Valley, CA a good place to live?
Yucca Valley grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #754 of 841 in California. It grades C for health and C for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Yucca Valley, CA expensive?
Yes. That is 3.9 years of the area's median household income ($89,662 across the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.