The average cost to rent a home in most Coachella Valley cities increased in April 2026 compared to a year earlier, with Rancho Mirage seeing the largest jump. The changes came as nationwide rental prices were up by roughly 1.9% year-over-year, according to newly released figures.
The data from the Zillow Observed Rent Index for April 2026 shows seven valley cities saw annual increases in their average rents for apartments and single-family homes, with Rancho Mirage seeing an increase of 10.6%. The highest average rents were reported in Indian Wells, while the lowest were in Desert Hot Springs.
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, which can cause large changes in smaller markets such as Indian Wells. The data does not yet include a city-level breakdown for Coachella, likely due to low rental inventories available online.
Here are the average rental prices for the eight 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 Indian Wells
Rental prices in Indio
Rental prices in La Quinta
Rental prices in Palm Desert
Rental prices in Palm Springs
Rental prices in Rancho Mirage
What are rental prices in Riverside County, nationwide?
In Riverside County, including the valley, the average rental price for April 2026 was $2,557.98 — up roughly 2.3% from a year ago, according to the ZORI data. That amount also marked a small increase (0.4%) from March 2026.
Zillow data shows the average rental nationwide at $1,929.64 for April 2026 — up roughly 1.9% compared to a year ago. The nationwide average was up about 0.6% compared to a month ago.
Tom Coulter covers local government and politics for The Desert Sun. Reach him at tcoulter@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How much is rent in Palm Springs area? See prices by city
Reporting by Tom Coulter, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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