Rental prices in most Coachella Valley cities continued to rise last month, with average rates in July higher than a year earlier, according to newly released figures.
While rents were up compared to a year ago, the new data shows average rent prices in four valley cities dropped slightly compared to the prior month, possibly a sign of weaker demand during the valley’s scorching summer.
The data from the Zillow Observed Rent Index for July 2026 shows six valley cities saw annual increases in their average rents for apartments and single-family homes, with the largest jumps reported in Indio (7.4%) and Rancho Mirage (10%).
The Zillow data uses a weighted formula to reflect the broader rental market, rather than just what’s currently listed for rent on its website, while also incorporating a three-month moving average to reflect trends over time. The data includes all types of rental leases, from seasonal ones to standard 12-month agreements.
Zillow sometimes revises its figures for prior months as more housing data becomes available. The data does not yet include a city-level breakdown for Coachella, likely due to low rental inventories available online, while rental data for Indian Wells initially added earlier this year was removed in the latest monthly dataset.
At a national level, rents were up 2.3% compared to a year ago, the fastest annual pace in over a year, according to an analysis of the latest data from Mischa Fisher, chief economist for Zillow Group. Fisher wrote that “what has changed isn’t demand; it’s supply.”
Here are the average rental prices for the seven valley cities for which city-level, snapshot data is available. The Desert Sun will report on these prices monthly.
Rental prices in Cathedral City
Rental prices in Desert Hot Springs
Rental prices in Indio
Rental prices in La Quinta
Rental prices in Palm Desert
Rental prices in Palm Springs
Rental prices in Rancho Mirage
How much are average rents in Riverside County, nationwide?
In Riverside County, including the valley, the average rental price for July 2026 was $2,604.98 — up roughly 2.4% from a year ago, according to the ZORI data. That amount also marked a slight 0.05% increase from June 2026.
The Zillow data shows three of the five least affordable metro areas for rentals are in Southern California, including Los Angeles (where the median household is estimated to spend 34.1% on a rental), Riverside (31.4%) and San Diego (30.7%). They trailed only New York (40.9%) and Miami (37.1%) in that statistic.
Zillow data shows the average rental nationwide at $1,962.19 for July 2026 — up 2.3% compared to a year ago.
Fisher, the Zillow Group economist, wrote that the change stems in part from fewer apartment units being built.
“The historically large number of new apartments that hit the market over the past couple of years increased supply and gave renters room to negotiate,” Fisher wrote. “As that pipeline narrows, the market is gradually tightening — multifamily permits in the second quarter were 31% below their most recent peak in 2022.”
Fisher noted nationwide rents for single-family homes rose 3% annually, outpacing the price growth for multifamily apartments (1.7%), reflecting how new construction generally skewed toward apartments.
“As that inventory is absorbed, multifamily rent growth is expected to follow the single-family trend upward,” Fisher wrote.
Nationwide, rents have increased by 38.3% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Zillow database.
(This story was updated with new information.)
Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How much is rent in Palm Springs area? See latest prices by city
Reporting by Tom Coulter, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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By Tom Coulter, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
