$933,000
Average list priceacross the desert’s seven core cities
End of summer is the desert’s smartest buying moment. A live, city-by-city read on the Coachella Valley, with every number sourced from Altos Research.
And that makes right now one of the smartest windows of the entire year to buy. As summer winds down, sellers are motivated, inventory is still healthy, and buyers have real room to negotiate before the crowds arrive. Once season hits and the desert fills back up, more eyes and more buyers mean prices hold firm or climb. The advantage that buyers enjoy today is a seasonal one, and it does not last.
The data already shows the shift beginning. Across several cities, the Market Action Index has ticked up over last month, an early sign that demand is starting to firm as the season approaches, while prices remain steady and well positioned homes continue to sell. Every one of our seven core cities sits in Slight Seller’s Advantage territory, with indexes ranging from 32 to 37.
For a buyer, the message is simple: end-of-summer homes offer the best combination of selection, seller motivation, and negotiating leverage you will find all year, before the fall and winter season brings the desert back to life.
We are Billy and Stacy Thoman. A fourth-generation California real estate family with three generations rooted right here in the desert. Over 4,000 homes sold across the Coachella Valley. Verified among the top 1.5% of agents nationwide, and top 1% nationwide for sales volume. What follows is our honest, data-driven read of where every market stands this September.
The desert rewards those who move before the crowd. End of summer is when the smart buyer negotiates, just ahead of the season that brings everyone else.
| City | Median List Price | Price / Sq Ft | Inventory | Median DOM | Price Reductions | MAI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral City | $569,000 | $307 | 99 | 77 days | 36% | 37 |
| Indian Wells | $1,595,000 | $578 | 47 | 119 days | 23% | 36 |
| Palm Desert | $682,450 | $333 | 266 | 91 days | 29% | 35 |
| La Quinta | $799,000 | $378 | 257 | 105 days | 34% | 34 |
| Palm Springs | $999,500 | $539 | 295 | 119 days | 31% | 32 |
| Rancho Mirage | $1,289,000 | $485 | 167 | 140 days | 22% | 32 |
| Indio | $599,000 | $299 | 367 | 77 days | 26% | 32 |
MAI = Market Action Index (measures rate of sales versus inventory; above 30 indicates a seller’s advantage). Every Coachella Valley city sits in Slight Seller’s Advantage territory this September, with several cities’ indexes rising over last month as the season approaches.
The national backdrop favors prepared buyers this fall. During the Labor Day week, new listings came in around 71,000, about 10% fewer than the same week last year, and inventory nationally sits just over 1.1 million homes, roughly 2% above a year ago. Nationally, 42% of active listings have taken a price reduction, with the typical cut around 4.1%, giving buyers genuine leverage in many markets.
The desert reflects that buyer-friendly moment, but from a firmer footing. All seven Coachella Valley cities remain on the seller’s side of the index, price reductions here run well below the national figure, and several markets are already firming as the season nears. That combination, national buyer leverage meeting a desert about to enter its busy months, is exactly what makes end of summer the moment to act.
Local data: Altos Research, September 15, 2026. National figures reflect the latest available market intelligence.
Cathedral City holds the highest Market Action Index in the valley this September at 37, and it remains the desert’s standout value story. At $307 per square foot with a median list price of $569,000, it offers some of the strongest purchasing power in the Coachella Valley, and homes here are moving briskly, with a median of just 77 days on market.
Here, sales continue to outstrip supply and the index has been trending up, a genuine seller’s market with real momentum heading into the season. Inventory has tightened to 99 active homes, so buyers who move now, before the fall crowd arrives, have the clearest shot at value. Sitting between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage with easy access to both, Cathedral City continues to reward buyers who want proximity to everything without the premium of its neighbors.
The highest MAI in the valley at 37 and the desert’s strongest price-per-foot value. With inventory tightening into the season, the smart move here is now.
| Median Price | Sq Ft | Lot Size | Beds | Bath | Age | New | Absorbed | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $715,000 | 2,192 | 8,000-10,000 sqft | 3 | 3 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 91 |
| $592,000 | 1,975 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 4 | 2 | 27 | 3 | 2 | 63 |
| $540,000 | 1,769 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 3 | 2 | 31 | 2 | 3 | 49 |
| $452,500 | 1,470 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 3 | 2 | 38 | 1 | 5 | 70 |
Indian Wells is, by almost any measure, the most exclusive residential market in the Coachella Valley. Home to Toscana Country Club and some of the desert’s most prestigious addresses, with just 47 homes currently on the market, the tightest inventory in the valley, every available property represents a meaningful opportunity.
The Market Action Index has risen to 36, up from last month, and recent weeks have already seen prices moving higher, an early signal of the season’s firming demand. The median list price stands at $1,595,000, and Indian Wells now commands the valley’s highest price per square foot at $578. For serious luxury buyers, a boutique supply that is already tightening ahead of the season is the classic case for acting now, before prices climb further.
Billy and Stacy regularly represent discreet buyers in Indian Wells who require confidentiality and privacy throughout the process. We understand the discretion, precision, and depth of knowledge this market demands, with the relationships to open doors others cannot.
Just 47 homes, a rising index, and prices already firming. In the valley’s most exclusive market, the window to act ahead of the season is open now.
| Median Price | Sq Ft | Lot Size | Beds | Bath | Age | New | Absorbed | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $4,395,000 | 4,909 | 0.25-0.5 acre | 4 | 4.5 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 105 |
| $1,862,000 | 2,946 | 0.25-0.5 acre | 3 | 3.5 | 38 | 3 | 1 | 84 |
| $1,224,000 | 2,773 | 0.25-0.5 acre | 3 | 2.5 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 157 |
| $799,000 | 2,517 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 3 | 3 | 46 | 1 | 1 | 119 |
Palm Desert sits at the geographic and cultural center of the Coachella Valley, and this September it offers one of the desert’s best combinations of value and selection. The median list price is $682,450 across 266 active homes, and at $333 per square foot it remains our most recommended entry point to the Coachella Valley lifestyle.
With a steady Market Action Index of 35 and prices that have plateaued, Palm Desert holds firmly in Slight Seller’s Advantage while giving buyers wonderful choice and room to negotiate right now. Home to El Paseo, the desert’s premier shopping and dining boulevard, and the McCallum Theatre, it delivers a full-amenity lifestyle that has no equal at this price point anywhere in California.
Wide selection at the valley’s best value entry point, with steady pricing and real negotiating room, before the season narrows the field.
| Median Price | Sq Ft | Lot Size | Beds | Bath | Age | New | Absorbed | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,349,000 | 2,917 | 0.25-0.5 acre | 4 | 3.5 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 126 |
| $798,500 | 2,351 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 4 | 3 | 25 | 4 | 6 | 84 |
| $599,000 | 1,888 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 3 | 2 | 24 | 8 | 5 | 84 |
| $457,500 | 1,478 | 4,500-6,500 sqft | 2 | 2 | 32 | 3 | 6 | 87 |
La Quinta is home to some of the most coveted country club addresses in California, including Rancho La Quinta Country Club, PGA West, Andalusia, and Trilogy. The mountain views are extraordinary, the lifestyle is genuinely resort-quality, and the sense of community is real.
The Market Action Index sits at 34, holding La Quinta in Slight Seller’s Advantage, with a median list price of $799,000 across 257 active homes. New listings are entering notably higher at a median of $932,000, and with the season approaching, this is a genuine window for buyers to negotiate on well positioned homes before demand firms. It is exactly the kind of moment that rewards moving early.
Stacy has sold homes throughout Rancho La Quinta and Andalusia. Billy launched both Trilogy at La Quinta and Trilogy at The Polo Club from the ground up. Together, we have represented buyers and sellers across every community in this city, and no team knows La Quinta more intimately.
Billy launched Trilogy at La Quinta and Trilogy at The Polo Club from the ground up. There is no team with deeper knowledge of this city’s communities than ours.
| Median Price | Sq Ft | Lot Size | Beds | Bath | Age | New | Absorbed | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,999,000 | 3,593 | 0.25-0.5 acre | 4 | 3.5 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 133 |
| $977,000 | 2,726 | 8,000-10,000 sqft | 3 | 3 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 98 |
| $684,500 | 1,967 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 3 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 105 |
| $513,450 | 1,551 | 4,500-6,500 sqft | 3 | 2 | 26 | 2 | 5 | 66 |
There is no city in America quite like Palm Springs. The midcentury modern architecture, the work of Wexler, Lautner, Cody, Frey, and their contemporaries, represents a built heritage recognized globally by architects, designers, and collectors. That premium continues to show up in the data.
Palm Springs commands $539 per square foot, second only to Indian Wells in the valley, with a median list price of $999,500. The Market Action Index has ticked up to 32 over last month, an early sign of firming demand, while 295 active homes still give serious buyers real choice across midcentury restorations, contemporary new builds, and historic neighborhoods. For buyers, that combination, strong selection today with demand beginning to build, is the case for moving before the season.
Stacy Thoman is a Palm Springs native from a family that has sold desert real estate here for three generations, and few teams can offer that depth of local roots. When you buy in Palm Springs with Stacy, you gain a lifelong guide to the city, its neighborhoods, and the community that makes it extraordinary.
Strong selection today, with the index already ticking up. Palm Springs offers the valley’s most iconic addresses, and the moment to negotiate is before the season arrives.
| Median Price | Sq Ft | Lot Size | Beds | Bath | Age | New | Absorbed | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,899,497 | 2,609 | 0.25-0.5 acre | 4 | 3.5 | 52 | 5 | 7 | 108 |
| $1,179,495 | 2,190 | 0.25-0.5 acre | 3 | 2.5 | 47 | 5 | 6 | 119 |
| $867,000 | 1,695 | 0.25-0.5 acre | 3 | 2 | 49 | 5 | 8 | 133 |
| $635,000 | 1,500 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 3 | 2 | 44 | 2 | 3 | 112 |
Rancho Mirage carries a distinction no other city in the Coachella Valley can claim: it has been home to American presidents, entertainment legends, and some of the most consequential figures of the 20th century. That legacy is embedded in the architecture, the land, and the culture, and it has never depreciated.
The median list price stands at $1,289,000 across 167 active homes, and Rancho Mirage shows the most disciplined pricing in the valley, with just 22% of sellers adjusting price, a sign of genuine confidence in these homes’ value. The index has ticked up to 32 while prices hold steady, and with the season approaching, buyers who engage now find attractive selection and room to negotiate in one of the desert’s most prestigious addresses.
Billy and Stacy have represented buyers and sellers throughout Rancho Mirage, including in Mission Hills Country Club, Tamarisk, Thunderbird Heights, and the private estates that define the city’s character. We also regularly represent discreet buyers who require confidentiality and privacy throughout the process, with the relationships to open doors here that others cannot.
The valley’s most disciplined pricing at just 22% reductions, with the index rising and prices steady. A rewarding moment to secure a Rancho Mirage address before the season.
| Median Price | Sq Ft | Lot Size | Beds | Bath | Age | New | Absorbed | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,800,000 | 4,460 | 0.5-1 acre | 4 | 4.5 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 150 |
| $1,549,990 | 3,108 | 8,000-10,000 sqft | 3 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 140 |
| $1,099,000 | 2,520 | 8,000-10,000 sqft | 3 | 3 | 42 | 2 | 3 | 115 |
| $749,000 | 1,985 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 3 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 147 |
Indio is the City of Festivals, and it is also home to Trilogy at The Polo Club, the resort-style, amenity-rich community Billy personally launched from the ground up. Right now Indio offers the largest active inventory in the entire valley at 367 homes, and the fastest median days on market in the desert at just 77 days.
The median list price stands at $599,000, and at $299 per square foot, the only sub-$300 figure in the valley, Indio offers the most square footage for the dollar of any Coachella Valley city, the strongest value play in the desert. The index has ticked up to 32 as demand firms toward the season, so buyers who want maximum selection and the best price per foot have every reason to move now.
For buyers focused on lifestyle, festival rental potential, or simply maximizing space and value, Indio is increasingly compelling. And no team knows Trilogy at The Polo Club better than the one that helped bring it to life.
$299 per square foot, 367 active homes, and the fastest median days on market in the desert. The most home for your dollar, in the valley’s largest selection, with demand beginning to build.
| Median Price | Sq Ft | Lot Size | Beds | Bath | Age | New | Absorbed | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $972,000 | 2,697 | 8,000-10,000 sqft | 4 | 3 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 84 |
| $642,450 | 2,231 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 3 | 2.5 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 77 |
| $550,000 | 1,918 | 6,500-8,000 sqft | 3 | 2 | 21 | 11 | 8 | 49 |
| $435,000 | 1,512 | 4,500-6,500 sqft | 2 | 2 | 22 | 4 | 9 | 84 |
End of summer gives buyers the best combination of selection, seller motivation, and leverage all year. Prices are steady, sellers are ready to talk, and the desert is quiet, for now. Once the season begins and the valley fills back up, more eyes and more buyers mean prices hold firm or climb, and today’s negotiating room narrows.
If you have been waiting for the right moment to buy in the desert, this is it. And if you are thinking of selling into the coming season, the smartest move is to price strategically from the start. Either way, this is exactly the kind of market where experience makes all the difference.
We are a husband and wife team from a fourth-generation California real estate family, with three generations rooted in the desert itself. Stacy is a Palm Springs native who earned her real estate license at 18. Billy is the former Sales Manager who personally launched Trilogy at La Quinta and Trilogy at The Polo Club, helping build the communities he now sells.
Together, we have closed over 4,000 homes across the Coachella Valley. We are verified among the Top 1.5% of agents nationwide and the Top 1% nationwide for sales volume. We are proud members of the Compass family and named a Palm Springs Life Top Realtor for 2026. Available to represent buyers and sellers across all of the Coachella Valley’s most prestigious communities.