Cost of living in Palmdale, CA — Housing, Rent & Index

All states·California·Palmdale·Cost of living

Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.

$503,393
Median home value
$2,752/mo
Median rent
142
Cost index (US=100)
-0.9%
Home YoY change

The median home value in Palmdale, CA is $503,393 as of 2026-04. That places Palmdale above the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 142 versus a national baseline of 100.

Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Palmdale has moved sideways, and over the past five years it has averaged +4.4% annual growth. The current price sits -2.1% from its 5-year peak in 2024-12.

Renters pay a median of $2,752 per month in Palmdale. Rents have changed +1.4% over the last year and averaged +6.3% per year over five years.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Palmdale are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.

Housing

Median home value$503,393
1-year change-0.9%
5-year CAGR+4.4%
10-year CAGR+7.5%
vs 5-year peak-2.1%

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

How Palmdale compares

Cost index142 (above US)
Median home vs US (~$355k)+41.8%
Population162,536
Momentum score56 (Stable)

Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.

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