Desert Hot Springs, CA · standard
ZIP Code 92240
Riverside County, California — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 34,722
- 367/sq mi
- $54,023
- Median income
- $333,300
- Median home value
- 16.5%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Desert Hot Springs pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 20th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 29%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 367
- people per sq mi
- 57%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 92240 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 92240 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 94.7 square miles in Desert Hot Springs, Riverside County, California. The area is home to 34,722 residents, producing a population density of 367 people per square mile, and falls within the Los Angeles time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 92240 against California and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 92240 sits at $54,023 (47% below the California average), while per-capita income is $24,798. The poverty rate stands at 16.8% and the unemployment rate at 5.8%. On housing, the median home value is $333,300 (57% below the state average) with median rent at $1,462 per month, and 56.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 92240 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 16.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.6, and the average commute is 29 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Riverside County, so you can benchmark 92240 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 92240
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 92240.
- Construction
Construction
84 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
57 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
50 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
42 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
41 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 92240, Desert Hot Springs, CA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
34,722
Population
94.7
Area (sq mi)
367
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 92240?
35.6
Median Age
49.6%
Male
50.4%
Female
28.5%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$54,023
Median Household Income
-47% vs state
$24,798
Per Capita Income
16.8%
Poverty Rate
5.8%
Unemployment Rate
28.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 92240 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$54,023 20th percentile higher than 20% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
15,798
Total Housing Units
14,115
Occupied Units
1,683
Vacant Units
2.93
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$333,300
Median Home Value
-57% vs state
$1,462
Median Rent
1989
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+1.9%
YoY Change (2024)
426
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+326%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 92240 have increased 1.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +326% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +8.0% | 263 |
| 2021 | +20.6% | 317 |
| 2022 | +25.9% | 399 |
| 2023 | +4.9% | 418 |
| 2024 | +1.9% | 426 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 372 business establishments in ZIP 92240, employing approximately 3,179 people with a combined annual payroll of $131,878,000.
372
Businesses
3,179
Employees
$131.9M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 84 | 22.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 57 | 15.3% |
| Retail trade | 50 | 13.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 42 | 11.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 41 | 11.0% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 22 | 5.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 16 | 4.3% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 15 | 4.0% |
| Manufacturing | 9 | 2.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 8 | 2.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 7 | 1.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 6 | 1.6% |
| Information | 6 | 1.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 6 | 1.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 92240 vs 92258 →
ZIP 92240 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 92234
Cathedral City (92234)
51,151 residents
- 92240
Desert Hot Springs (92240)
34,722 residents
- 92262
Palm Springs (92262)
26,179 residents
- 92256 3,588
Morongo Valley (92256)
3,588 residents
- 92282 1,239
Whitewater (92282)
1,239 residents
- 92258 861
North Palm Springs (92258)
861 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 92240 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 92240 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 92234
Cathedral City (92234)
$73,572 median income
- 92262
Palm Springs (92262)
$71,672 median income
- 92282
Whitewater (92282)
$68,750 median income
- 92240
Desert Hot Springs (92240)
$54,023 median income
- 92258
North Palm Springs (92258)
$52,757 median income
- 92256
Morongo Valley (92256)
$51,949 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 92240 ranks #4 of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Riverside County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 92240 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 92240? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 92240? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 92240? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 92240? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 92240? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 92240? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 92240? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 92240? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 92240? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 92240? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 92240? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Desert Hot Springs, CA
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.