Indio, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Indio

Riverside County · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario · population 94,275

Indio, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Indio, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
64
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Indio stands

Rents up 6.0% in the last year.

Median home $516,996
1-year -1.7%
5-yr CAGR +5.9%
vs 5-yr peak -4.5%
Population +1.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-08$517k$255k$357k$460k$563k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
79/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,554/mo$1,638$2,172$2,707202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent124147100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.9
Lean buy

At a 16.9 price-to-rent ratio, Indio is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
41 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
69 · w22%
Distance from peak
63 · w18%
Population growth
71 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
71 · w10%
Long thesis

Indio has held up across the cycle: home values at $516,996 with +5.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Indio's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Indio

Indio is a city in Riverside County, California, with an estimated population of 94,275. It anchors the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area. The population grew 1.4% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Indio is $516,996 as of 2026-04, down 1.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.9% annual growth (-4.5% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Indio average $2,554 per month, up 6.0% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.9% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Net positive migration: population up 1.4% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
●Hot rental market: rents up 6.0% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Indio (Wikipedia)

Indio is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. Indio is approximately 125 miles (201 km) east of Los Angeles, 23 miles (37 km) east of Palm Springs, and 98 miles (158 km) west of Blythe, California.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorElaine Holmes
Area33.23 sq mi
Elevation−13 ft
EstablishedMay 16, 1930
NicknameThe City of Festivals
Motto"take center stage," "The Place to Be"
Densityauto/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Riverside County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Riverside County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Indio

La Quinta, CA61 · StableOntario, CA63 · RisingTemecula, CA62 · RisingLake Elsinore, CA63 · Rising

Run the numbers for Indio

ToolCan I afford Indio?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Indio rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Indio to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolIndio cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Indio listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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