San Bernardino County · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario · population 6,489
Where Joshua Tree stands
29% off 5-year peak. home values down 4.6% in the last year. rents up 15.1% in the last year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
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 · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 13.1 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Joshua Tree on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.1 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Joshua Tree is 29% below its 5-year peak but compounded at +10.9% per year over a decade. Long-run trend is intact; you're buying through-the-cycle pricing in a market that has historically rewarded patience.
Joshua Tree has given back 29% from its 5-year peak — that's not a healthy correction, it's a market still digesting an overshoot. The bear case is that the floor hasn't been found yet.
About Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree is a city in San Bernardino County, California, with an estimated population of 6,489. It anchors the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area. The median home value in Joshua Tree is $345,770 as of 2026-04, down 4.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +2.2% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 29% below its 5-year peak. Rents in Joshua Tree average $2,195 per month, up 15.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 45 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
Playbook
You have leverage. Negotiate price, ask for closing-cost credits, and don't waive inspection. Walk-away power is real in a Cooling market — use it. Joshua Tree is currently 29% off its 5-year peak — historically, that's been the discount tier of this market.
Price aggressively (at or below recent sold comps) or be prepared to wait. Concessions — rate buydowns, closing costs, repair credits — are how deals close right now.
Cap rates are more attractive than they were 12 months ago but the appreciation tailwind is gone. Confirm tenant demand, vacancy rates, and exit liquidity before committing capital.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for San Bernardino County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. San Bernardino County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Cities like Joshua Tree
Run the numbers for Joshua Tree
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
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
Find rentals & listings
Open current Joshua Tree listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local economy & environment
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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