States › California › Cathedral City

Is Cathedral City, CA expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 29 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,93410% higher than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$79,347about $6,612/month · 9% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$453,10036% higher than U.S. average

Rent is higher than in 65% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 5.7 years of household income. Commutes are short, about 19.9 minutes.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $77,360 a year. That is $37 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other California cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of California. It is number 202 of 653 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Cathedral City
$1,934
Paramount
$2,233
Palm Desert
$2,264
Novato
$2,978
Placentia
$3,063
Watsonville
$2,363
Delano
$1,749

How much do households earn in Cathedral City?

Under $25k
13.1%
$25k–50k
23.2%
$50k–100k
32.1%
$100k–150k
16.2%
$150k+
9.9%

Share of households by yearly income. 26.1% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Cathedral City

SizeCathedral CityU.S. average
Studio$790$1,338
1 bedroom$986$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,758$1,509
3 bedrooms$2,142$1,698
4 bedrooms$2,258$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Cathedral City overall?

Everyday prices in California overall are 11% above the U.S. average (index 110.7, U.S. = 100).

Housing
154
Goods (food, clothes…)
106
Utilities
159
Other services
103
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Cathedral City, so the California figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Cathedral City

🏛️ Property tax$3,822a year · 0.84% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$188a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Cathedral City

Commute to work19.9 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree24.5%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home66.5%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line13.1%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment6%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Cathedral City?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $1,210 a month less.

Renting
$1,934
Owning
$3,144

Owning assumes a typical $453,100 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $45,310 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Cathedral City, CA?

Renting in Cathedral City costs a median of about $1,934 a month in 2026, including utilities. The California median is $2,357.

How much do I need to make to live in Cathedral City?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $77,360 a year, or $37 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Cathedral City cheap or expensive?

Cathedral City is rated OK: rent takes 29.2% of the typical household income of $79,347. It ranks 202nd cheapest of 653 California cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Cathedral City?

The median homeowner in Cathedral City pays $3,822 a year in property taxes, about 0.84% of the median home value.

Is Cathedral City more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in California are 11% above the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Cathedral City?

The median home value in Cathedral City is $453,100, about 5.7 times the typical yearly household income.

52,267 people live in Cathedral City. Numbers are typical (middle) values.