Desert Hot Springs
'Spa City' built atop a unique two-water aquifer -- natural 110 F hot mineral springs on the northeast side of the Mission Creek Fault and a cold mineral aquifer on the southwest side, feeding 30+ boutique spa hotels; most affordable incorporated city in the Coachella Valley
Why People Move Here
Desert Hot Springs is the Coachella Valley's 'Spa City,' incorporated in 1963 but rooted in Cabot A. Yerxa's 1913-1914 pick-and-shovel wells on Miracle Hill, which struck two aquifers on opposite sides of the Mission Creek branch of the San Andreas Fault -- a 110 F natural hot mineral spring to the northeast and a cold mineral aquifer to the southwest. That fault line is the literal boundary between Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs, and it feeds more than 30 boutique mineral-spring spa hotels citywide, including the 77-acre Two Bunch Palms (operating since the 1940s and the first carbon-neutral resort in the United States), Miracle Springs, and Azure Palm. The city's signature cultural landmark is Cabot's Pueblo Museum -- Yerxa's hand-built 35-room Hopi-style pueblo, assembled from scavenged desert materials and opened in 1950. DHS sits at ~1,076 feet, roughly 1,000 feet above the Palm Springs valley floor, which delivers ~10-15 F cooler summer nights and some of the lowest light pollution in the valley. Housing stock (2026 Zillow typical value ~$370K; Redfin median sale ~$373-379K) is consistently the most affordable in the Coachella Valley -- roughly half the price of Palm Desert and La Quinta -- and spans 1960s-80s tract homes south of I-10, large-lot rural acreage in Sky Valley / Desert Edge north of I-10, and newer master-planned communities like Lennar's 608-acre Skyborne (homes high-$300Ks to low-$400Ks) and the 1972 Mission Lakes Country Club (Ted Robinson-designed 18-hole course with unlimited-golf HOA). Schools are Palm Springs Unified (PSUSD, Niche B-). Transit is SunLine Transit Agency (hydrogen + electric zero-emission fleet) with SunRide microtransit in DHS / Desert Edge; there is no Metrolink rail station. The signature modern economic story is cannabis: in 2014 DHS became the first Southern California city to permit large-scale commercial cannabis cultivation, and the resulting ~50-project cluster has overtaken real estate as the city's largest tax revenue source.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD)
B-- Serves Desert Hot Springs plus Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, and Thousand Palms -- 20,000+ students across 16 elementary, 5 middle, 4 comprehensive high schools + 2 continuation high schools
- Desert Hot Springs High School (9-12) -- Niche B-, 1,718 students, 20:1 student-teacher ratio; 19% math and 55% reading proficient on state tests; 3.73/5 from 331 reviews
- Painted Hills Middle School (6-8) -- 741 students, 22:1 ratio; Gifted & Talented program
- Cabot Yerxa Elementary (K-5) -- ~673 students, 22:1 ratio; named for the DHS homesteader
- Bella Vista Elementary (K-5) -- Niche C+, 65750 Avenida Jalisco
- Two Bunch Palms Elementary (K-5) -- Niche C+
- Bubbling Wells Elementary (K-5)
- PSUSD offers universal Transitional Kindergarten (TK) at age 4, Head Start, and state-funded preschool programs
- District-wide device policy update takes effect August 2026
FAQ — Desert Hot Springs
Why is Desert Hot Springs called 'Spa City'?
Desert Hot Springs sits directly over a rare 'two-water' aquifer system. Cabot A. Yerxa's 1913-1914 pick-and-shovel wells on Miracle Hill struck a natural hot mineral spring at 110 F on the northeast side of the Mission Creek branch of the San Andreas Fault and a separate cold mineral aquifer on the southwest side. Meteoric water from the San Bernardino Mountains travels down the fault zone, is geothermally heated thousands of feet below the surface, and resurfaces in DHS at up to ~150 F. More than 30 boutique mineral-spring spa hotels tap that hot-water aquifer today -- including the 77-acre Two Bunch Palms (operating since the 1940s and the first carbon-neutral resort in the United States), Miracle Springs Resort (10625 Palm Dr with 8 outdoor mineral pools), and Azure Palm Hot Springs. The USGS documented the fault/aquifer geometry in Catchings et al. 2009.
What is the housing market like in Desert Hot Springs?
Zillow reports a typical Desert Hot Springs home value of $370,610 in early 2026, down 1.7% year-over-year. Redfin reports a January 2026 median sale price of $373,000 (down 0.53% YoY) and a March 2026 median sale of $379,000 (down 2.5% YoY), with the median list price at $399,000 in April 2026. Homes sell in approximately 70 days. Condo median list is near $200K; luxury homes near $425K. Desert Hot Springs is consistently the most affordable incorporated city in the Coachella Valley -- typical home values run 40-60% below Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, and La Quinta. Housing stock spans 1960s-80s tract homes south of I-10, 2000s-2020s master-planned subdivisions (Lennar's Skyborne at high-$300Ks to low-$400Ks), and large-lot rural acreage in Sky Valley and Desert Edge north of I-10. Verify current listings on Zillow and Redfin.
What schools serve Desert Hot Springs?
All Desert Hot Springs addresses fall within Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD, Niche B-), which serves 20,000+ students across Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, and Thousand Palms (16 elementary, 5 middle, 4 comprehensive high schools, 2 continuation high schools). In-city campuses include Desert Hot Springs High School (grades 9-12, Niche B-, 1,718 students, 20:1 student-teacher ratio, 19% math and 55% reading proficient, 3.73/5 from 331 reviews), Painted Hills Middle School (6-8, 741 students, 22:1, Gifted & Talented program), Cabot Yerxa Elementary (K-5, ~673 students, 22:1), Bella Vista Elementary (K-5, Niche C+), Two Bunch Palms Elementary (K-5, Niche C+), and Bubbling Wells Elementary (K-5). Verify enrollment eligibility by specific address -- PSUSD boundaries cross multiple valley cities and feeder-school assignments vary by street.
What are the crime statistics in Desert Hot Springs?
Per FBI Uniform Crime Report data released October 2025 (covering calendar 2024), the Desert Hot Springs overall crime rate is approximately 17 per 1,000 residents, with a 1 in 204 chance of violent-crime victimization and 1 in 267 chance of motor vehicle theft annually. The 2024 overall crime rate declined ~7% vs. 2023, and the 5-year trend shows decreasing violent and property crime. Three homicides were reported in the most recently reported year. Law enforcement is provided by the standalone Desert Hot Springs Police Department (48 full-time employees, 30 sworn officers). Verify current statistics via the DHS Police Department, FBI UCR, and NeighborhoodScout.
What healthcare options are near Desert Hot Springs?
No hospital is located inside Desert Hot Springs city limits. Desert Regional Medical Center (1150 N Indian Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, ~15-20 minutes south via Palm Dr + I-10 W + Indian Canyon Dr) is a 387-bed tertiary acute care hospital and the ONLY Level I Trauma Center and Level III NICU in the Coachella Valley; it is part of the Desert Care Network. JFK Memorial Hospital (Indio, ~35-40 minutes east) and Hi-Desert Medical Center (Joshua Tree, ~40-45 minutes north via SR-62) are the other Desert Care Network hospitals. Loma Linda University Medical Center (~75 minutes west) provides tertiary and specialty care and is the region's Level I trauma center. Multiple urgent-care clinics line Palm Dr. Eisenhower Health (Rancho Mirage, ~25-30 min) is a major multi-specialty health system.
Is there Metrolink or public transit in Desert Hot Springs?
Desert Hot Springs has no Metrolink commuter rail station -- the nearest is Riverside-Downtown Metrolink station (~55 miles west via I-10; Inland Empire-Orange County Line and 91/Perris Valley Line to LA Union Station). Public transit within the Coachella Valley is provided by SunLine Transit Agency (sunline.org), whose 100% alternative-fuel fleet (~40% hydrogen fuel cell or electric zero-emission) operates 10 local routes plus one regional route. Routes 14 and 15 serve Desert Hot Springs, connecting to Palm Springs and the rest of the valley. SunRide microtransit provides on-demand, app-based service within Desert Hot Springs and Desert Edge. Base fare is $1 cash with reduced fares for seniors, ADA riders, and youth. Palm Springs International Airport (PSP, ~15-20 min south via Palm Dr + Gene Autry Trail) is the primary commercial airport.
How far is Joshua Tree National Park from Desert Hot Springs?
The west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park is approximately 43 miles and 45-55 minutes north of Desert Hot Springs via SR-62, passing through Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, and the town of Joshua Tree (turn right on Park Boulevard). This is the closest park entrance from the Coachella Valley and provides access to Keys View, Hidden Valley, Barker Dam, the Wonderland of Rocks, Skull Rock, and the Cholla Cactus Garden via the scenic Park Boulevard route. On the way, Mission Creek Preserve (4,760-acre Wildlands Conservancy) and Whitewater Preserve provide additional trailheads with Pacific Crest Trail and Sand to Snow National Monument access.
What is the cannabis industry in Desert Hot Springs?
In 2014, Desert Hot Springs became the first city in Southern California to legalize large-scale commercial cannabis cultivation -- well before California legalized adult-use cannabis (2016). The city has branded itself 'The First Cannabis-Friendly City in California' and is home to approximately 50 licensed cannabis cultivation projects in various stages of development, including LiveHappy (the largest indoor cannabis facility in California), Off The Charts, Glass House Brands, Jeeter, NUG Inc., and Hits. Cannabis tax revenue (approximately $4 million annually) has overtaken real estate as the city's single largest tax revenue source. Licensed dispensaries operate throughout the city. The cannabis cluster is one of two economic pillars alongside spa-and-wellness tourism.
What is the sales tax and property tax in Desert Hot Springs?
Desert Hot Springs's combined sales tax rate is 8.75% (2026) -- 6.25% California state base + 0.25% Riverside County + 1.5% special district + 0.75% city measure. The median effective property tax rate is approximately 1.10-1.25% (the 1% California ad valorem base plus voter-approved district debt). Some post-2000 master-planned subdivisions (Skyborne, Marbella Villas) may carry Mello-Roos Community Facilities District (CFD) assessments -- verify per parcel with a title report. California state income tax is progressive up to 13.3% top marginal, and retirement-income distributions are taxable at the state level (Social Security benefits are NOT taxed by California). Water and sewer are billed by Mission Springs Water District (MSWD) -- a special district, not CVWD which serves the central and east valley.
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