August 2026
The Desert Housing Report
A clear monthly view of prices, sales, inventory, luxury-market activity, and selling times across the Coachella Valley.
$635K
Median Detached Price
-1.9% YoY
$430K
Median Attached Price
-2.8% YoY
2,441
Total Inventory
-12.7% YoY
3.9
Months of Sales
4.6 one year ago
555
3-Month Avg Sales
574 one year ago
55
Median Days on Market
60 one year ago
Ryan's Market Watch
5 Things I’m Watching
The headline numbers only tell part of the story. These are the five signals I think matter most when looking at the desert market right now.
01
Luxury is carrying outsized weight
$1M+ homes accounted for 47.7% of Valley residential dollar sales in August, making the upper end of the market one of the most important stories in the desert.
02
Inventory is moving lower
Active inventory fell to 2,441 homes, 12.7% below a year ago. Buyers still have choices, but the overall pool of available homes has tightened.
03
The Valley remains balanced
Months of supply measured 3.9 months. The GPSR report considers a regional ratio under six months balanced, although conditions differ substantially by city and price point.
04
Sales volume is still subdued
The three-month average was 555 sales per month, while the report's Sales Recovery measure places current activity 32.8% below the 2016–2019 historic norm.
05
There is no single desert market
Indian Wells and Palm Springs illustrate the spread: the report's average-size detached-home measure was up 14.4% year over year in Indian Wells and down 6.0% in Palm Springs.
Luxury Market Spotlight
Luxury sales remain a major force in the desert market.
Homes priced at $1 million and above accounted for 47.7% of all Valley residential dollar sales in August. The $1M–$1.999M bracket generated approximately $111 million per month, while homes priced at $2M and above generated approximately $104 million.
$1M–$1.999M
4.3 months
of supply vs. 6.5 last year
$2M+
5.0 months
of supply vs. 5.8 last year
47.7%
of total dollar sales
from $1M+ homes
August Summary
Market at a Glance
Prices
The median detached-home price ended August at $635,000, down 1.9% from a year ago. Attached homes ended at $430,000, down 2.8%. Among average-size detached homes, Indian Wells posted the strongest year-over-year change at +14.4%, while Palm Springs was down 6.0%.
Sales
The three-month average was 555 home sales per month versus 574 a year ago. Palm Springs led the Valley with 121 monthly sales, followed by Palm Desert at 114 and La Quinta at 75. Average monthly dollar sales totaled $451 million.
Inventory & Supply
Valley inventory finished August at 2,441 homes, down 12.7% from last year. Months of sales measured 3.9 months versus 4.6 months a year ago. The report characterizes a regional ratio below 6.0 months as a balanced housing market.
Selling Times
Median days in the market was 55 days, five days lower than a year ago. Coachella was fastest at 25 days, while Indian Wells had the longest median selling time at 73 days.
Negotiating Room
Detached homes sold at an average 2.9% discount to list price and attached homes at a 3.7% discount. Only 11.1% of Valley homes sold above list price, unchanged from a year ago.
Sales vs. Historic Norms
The report's seasonally adjusted Sales Recovery Chart places current sales 32.8% below the 2016–2019 historic norm, underscoring that transaction volume remains well below normal even as the supply-demand ratio remains balanced.
Negotiating Landscape
Where Buyers May Find Leverage
The Valley is not broadly a buyer's market, but several August indicators point to more room for thoughtful negotiation than during the pandemic-era market. The key is identifying where time on market, supply and seller expectations intersect.
55 days
Valley median market time
Homes are taking long enough for buyers to compare options and perform due diligence.
-2.9%
Detached-home discount
The average detached sale closed below asking price; attached homes averaged a 3.7% discount.
11.1%
Sold above list
Only about one in nine homes sold over asking, back near the report's pre-pandemic pattern.
Leverage varies by property. Indian Wells had the Valley's longest median market time at 73 days and a 6.1% average detached-home discount, while Coachella's median market time was just 25 days.
Markets to Watch
One Valley. Very Different Markets.
Valley-wide statistics are useful, but they can hide major differences between communities. The report's average-size-home methodology makes that especially visible this month.
Indian Wells
+14.4%
Year-over-year change in the report's average-size detached-home measure, the strongest among the ten cities.
Palm Springs
-6.0%
Year-over-year change in the same detached-home measure, illustrating how differently individual markets can move.
Rancho Mirage
+0.1%
Essentially flat year over year in the detached-home measure, despite very different conditions elsewhere in the Valley.
By City & Price
Sales, Dollars & Inventory
Home Sales by City
Three-month average units per month. Palm Springs leads at 121, followed by Palm Desert at 114 and La Quinta at 75.
Dollar Sales by City
Average monthly dollar sales in millions. Palm Springs leads at approximately $98 million, followed by Palm Desert at $87 million and La Quinta at $82 million.
Inventory by City
Active inventory as of September 1, 2026. Palm Springs has 548 homes for sale and Palm Desert has 532.
Sales by Price Bracket
Three-month average monthly sales by price range, including the Valley's active $1M+ market.
Supply & Demand
Supply & Selling Times
Months of Sales by City
The Valley-wide ratio is 3.9 months. The report considers a regional ratio under 6.0 months a balanced market.
Median Days on Market by City
The Valley median is 55 days. Coachella is fastest at 25 days; Indian Wells is highest at 73 days.
Ryan's Perspective
How I Read This Market
What I’m Seeing
This is a more deliberate market. Overall sales remain below historic norms, yet inventory has declined and luxury continues to generate a remarkable share of the Valley's dollar volume. That combination makes broad labels less useful than looking closely at each community and price point.
What I’d Tell Buyers
Use the slower pace to your advantage. Compare properties carefully, pay attention to days on market and understand the seller's competition. There is negotiating room in parts of the market, but the best homes can still command attention.
What I’d Tell Sellers
Price and presentation matter. Buyers have enough time and choice to recognize when a property is out of step with its competition. A strong launch should be based on the specific neighborhood, price range and current alternatives—not simply a Valley-wide trend.
Source: GPSR Desert Housing Report, August 2026. MLS data source identified by the report as FLEX. Statistics include the Coachella Valley markets covered by GPSR and may include late-entry sales in subsequent monthly updates.