Places › California › Twentynine Palms

Living in Twentynine Palms, CA

Small city in California

Twentynine Palms is a small city in California, home to about 29,000 people, with 224,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Twentynine Palms a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby
  • Dog-friendly: 1 dog park within 9 mi
  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $290k and rents for $2,910 a month

👎 Cons

  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Hot summers: highs around 102°F
  • Fewer graduates: 25% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Smaller job market: about 224,000 people live within 31 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Twentynine Palms ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
29,000
224,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
64°F / 102°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$290k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$2,910/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
106
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.7% property tax
Safety
1.2× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
9 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Below average
Tests below US average · 25 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
25%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
PSP
34 mi away

Living in Twentynine Palms: common questions

What is the cost of living in Twentynine Palms?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $290k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $2,910 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 106, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Twentynine Palms?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.7% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Twentynine Palms safe?

Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.2× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Twentynine Palms?

Public schools in Twentynine Palms test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 25 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Twentynine Palms?

Twentynine Palms has mild winters: winter days average around 64°F and summer days around 102°F.

Does Twentynine Palms get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.82 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Twentynine Palms?

The nearest major airport is PSP, about 34 mi away.

How Twentynine Palms scores

Each bar compares Twentynine Palms with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundSome transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateMild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAverage cost Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingGood
💸Low taxesBelow average
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareBelow average
🏫SchoolsBelow average
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyBelow average
🐕Dog-friendlyGood
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetySafe
🌪️Few natural disastersAverage
☀️SunnyExcellent
🌤️Mild summersPoor
✈️AirportGood

Places like Twentynine Palms

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Ridgecrest, CASmall city40 $253k$2,060/moSafe El Centro, CASmall city39 $377k$1,850/moSafe Brawley, CASmall city43 $349k$1,850/moSafe Redding, CASmall city39 $373k$2,210/moNo crime data Bullhead City, AZSmall city42 $323k$1,900/moSafe Yuma, AZSmall city49 $284k$1,890/moSafe

Nearby

Desert Hot Springs, CASmall city · 30 mi away43 $376k$2,910/moHigher crime Indio, CASmall city · 30 mi away40 $496k$2,910/moModerate crime Cathedral City, CASmall city · 31 mi away45 $480k$2,910/moVery safe Coachella, CASmall city · 32 mi away39 $399k$2,910/moSafe Palm Desert, CASmall city · 33 mi away44 $606k$2,910/moSafe Palm Springs, CAResort town · 36 mi away43 $837k$2,910/moModerate crime

See all the best places to live in California.

Is Twentynine Palms right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.