Twentynine Palms, CA

All states·California·Twentynine Palms

San Bernardino County · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario · population 26,563

First-time buyersBargain huntersShrinking
Twentynine Palms, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Twentynine Palms, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
46
Cooling
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Twentynine Palms stands

16% off 5-year peak. home values down 3.8% in the last year. population shrinking 1.4% per year.

Median home $248,218
1-year -3.8%
5-yr CAGR +3.9%
vs 5-yr peak -15.6%
Population -1.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-08$248k$96k$166k$236k$306k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
64/100
Workable for remote workers
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
$1,369/mo$1,022$1,249$1,476202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent93126100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 15.1
Lean buy

At a 15.1 price-to-rent ratio, Twentynine Palms 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
31 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
59 · w22%
Distance from peak
29 · w18%
Population growth
25 · w16%
Rent YoY
68 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
86 · w10%
Long thesis

Twentynine Palms is 16% below its 5-year peak but compounded at +9.1% 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.

Short thesis

Twentynine Palms's population is shrinking 1.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About Twentynine Palms

Twentynine Palms is a city in San Bernardino County, California, with an estimated population of 26,563. It anchors the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area. The population has contracted 1.4% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Twentynine Palms is $248,218 as of 2026-04, down 3.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.9% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 16% below its 5-year peak. Rents in Twentynine Palms average $1,369 per month, up 3.4% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 46 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.

▲ Bull case

●Reset opportunity: 16% off recent peak but +9.1% annualized over 10 years — long-run trend is up even if the last year wasn’t.
○The data is the data: Twentynine Palms has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

●Net out-migration: population shrinking 1.4% per year — services, schools, and tax base will follow.
●Cooling: -3.8% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
●16% off recent peak — buyers are getting through-the-cycle pricing, not the peak.

About Twentynine Palms (Wikipedia)

Twentynine Palms is a city in San Bernardino County, California. As of the 2020 census, Twentynine Palms had a population of 28,065. It serves as one of the entry points to Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert region.

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

Playbook

Buyer

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.

Seller

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.

Investor

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.

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

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 Twentynine Palms

Monterey, CA50 · StableSeaside, CA51 · StableSantee, CA53 · StableNewman, CA53 · Stable

Run the numbers for Twentynine Palms

ToolCan I afford Twentynine Palms?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Twentynine Palms rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Twentynine Palms to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolTwentynine Palms 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 Twentynine Palms 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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