Moving to Desert Shores
Imperial County loses about 5.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.
Where people come from and where they go, top counties
Within California, other states or abroad
Income per tax return
People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Imperial County; flows under 20 returns are not published.
- Who moves here
- 2.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
- Who arrives and who leaves
- Households moving into Imperial County report $44,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $48,000, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
- Income you would need
- $20,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $514 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,774 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $178,600.
- Getting to work
- 22 minutes each way on average; 0.0% work from home.
- If it is close but not quite
- Hamilton, AL matches it on character. Compare the two
All 5 moving measures
| Measure | Desert Shores | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved here in the past year1County figure | 2.8% | 51% below | |
| Moved from another state1 | 0.0% | below (median 2.0%) | |
| Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure | -5.9 | below (median -0.6) | |
| Income of households moving in7County figure | $44,659 | 37% below | |
| Income of households moving out7County figure | $48,005 | 32% below |
What it costs to live here
Median gross rent is $514, 62% below the median place.
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in Desert Shores, $514 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Desert Shores.
All 16 cost and housing measures
| Measure | Desert Shores | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1 | $514 | 62% below | |
| Rent to income1 | 10.7% | 48% below | |
| Property tax rate1 | 0.9% | 2% below | |
| Home price to income1 | 3.1x | 18% below | |
| Prices vs US average2Metro figure | 95.2 | 6% below | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure | $1,347 | 17% below | |
| HUD area median income4County figure | $75,500 | 30% below | |
| Property tax paid (median)1 | $1,589 | 51% below | |
| Median home value1 | $178,600 | 44% below | |
| Home prices, 1-year change5County figure | 7.3% | 128% above | |
| Home prices, 5-year change5County figure | 59.7% | 16% above | |
| Homeownership1 | 100.0% | 51% above | |
| Renters paying 30%+1County figure | 53.0% | 5% above | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1County figure | $1,774 | 5% below | |
| Vacant homes1County figure | 14.5% | 105% above | |
| Median year built1 | 1983 | 0% above |
Work and pay
Works from home is 0.0%, below the median place (median 12.4%).
All 10 work and pay measures
| Measure | Desert Shores | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1County figure | $57,681 | 28% below | |
| Income per person1 | $24,524 | 39% below | |
| Unemployment1County figure | 12.5% | 156% above | |
| Average annual pay6County figure | $56,305 | 15% below | |
| Pay growth, 1 year6County figure | 3.0% | 19% below | |
| Jobs6County figure | 67,955 | 55% below | |
| Poverty rate1County figure | 19.5% | 81% above | |
| Mean commute1County figure | 22 min | 11% below | |
| Works from home1 | 0.0% | below (median 12.4%) | |
| Commutes by transit1 | 0.0% | below (median 0.8%) |
Who lives here
Homes with broadband is 70.7%, 23% below the median place.
All 8 people measures
| Measure | Desert Shores | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 801 | 6646th largest | |
| Median age1 | 47.4 | 22% above | |
| Bachelor's or higher1County figure | 16.1% | 50% below | |
| High school or higher1 | 63.0% | 32% below | |
| Household size1 | 3.2 | 29% above | |
| Born abroad1 | 42.5% | 381% above | |
| No health insurance1County figure | 6.0% | 6% below | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 70.7% | 23% below |
Life in Desert Shores
10 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 9 schools and local life measures
| Measure | Desert Shores | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools10County figure | 76 | above (median 9) | |
| Public school students10County figure | 36,513 | above (median 4,897) | |
| Students per teacher10County figure | 21.2 | 38% above | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure | 13.3 | 36% below | |
| Shops per 10k8County figure | 24.3 | 20% below | |
| Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure | 1.4 | 66% below | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure | 11.3 | 44% below | |
| Child care centers per 10k8County figure | 2.7 | 17% above | |
| National Register listings9County figure | 10 | 23% below |
Safety, weather and risk
Annual precipitation is 3.2 in, 93% below the median place.
No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Desert Shores. Larger places are fetched first.
All 11 weather and risk measures
| Measure | Desert Shores | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high11County figure | 107°F | 24% above | |
| January average low11County figure | 45°F | 78% above | |
| Average temperature11County figure | 74°F | 35% above | |
| Annual precipitation11County figure | 3.2 in | 93% below | |
| Natural hazard risk12County figure | 96.5 | 4% above | |
| Hurricane risk12County figure | 22.3 | 68% below | |
| Tornado risk12County figure | 11.4 | 86% below | |
| Wildfire risk12County figure | 76.0 | 24% above | |
| Heat wave risk12County figure | 94.0 | 4% above | |
| Median air quality index13County figure | 64 | 49% above | |
| Good air days13County figure | 27.7% | 60% below |
How it is changing
Five-year survey estimates, one point per release.
No history available.
Median household income
Median home value
Citytistics measures
Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas
Desert Shores in 2030: where the trends point
Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.
| Measure | Latest | 2030 projection | Likely range | Avg. per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,212 (2024) | $51,500 | $43,500 to $60,500 | +5.5% |
| Median home value | $178,600 (2024) | $304,000 | $221,000 to $419,000 | +9.3% |
The median home would be worth 5.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.8 now.
A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.
Places like Desert Shores
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton, AL | $599 | $54,871 | Compare |
| Alpena, MI | $625 | $47,545 | Compare |
| International Falls, MN | $645 | $57,662 | Compare |
| Prairie du Chien, WI | $795 | $54,268 | Compare |
Nearby
- Salton City, CA9 mi
- Mecca, CA12 mi
- Coachella, CA21 mi
- La Quinta, CA21 mi
- Indio, CA25 mi
- Bermuda Dunes, CA27 mi
Compare Desert Shores with
Common questions
Is Desert Shores a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Median rent is $514 a month, lower than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 655 California places. 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 652 California places. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is Desert Shores expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 10.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $178,600.
What salary do you need to live in Desert Shores?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $20,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.
What places are similar to Desert Shores?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Hamilton, AL, Alpena, MI, International Falls, MN and Prairie du Chien, WI.
Sources and methods
The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
- Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
- Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
- House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
- SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
- County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
- 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
- National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
- Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files
Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).
What stands out compares Desert Shores with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Desert Shores itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/desert-shores-california
Citytistics. “Desert Shores, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/desert-shores-california/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.