September 2026
The Desert Housing Report
A clear monthly view of prices, sales, inventory, luxury-market activity, and selling times across the Coachella Valley.
$624K
Median Detached Price
-0.3% YoY
$425K
Median Attached Price
+1.2% YoY
2,765
Total Inventory
-1.2% YoY
4.5
Months of Sales
4.6 one year ago
483
3-Month Avg Sales
543 one year ago
57
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
Sales remain well below normal
The seasonally adjusted Sales Recovery Chart places current sales 33.7% below the 2016–2019 historic norm. The three-month average also fell to 483 sales per month from 543 a year ago.
02
Prices are holding better than volume
The Valley median detached price was $624,000, just 0.3% below last year, while the attached median reached $425,000, up 1.2%.
03
Supply is becoming more important
Inventory reached 2,765 homes and months of sales measured 4.5. The report notes that low sales are causing supply to begin exceeding demand.
04
Luxury performance is highly localized
Indian Wells' average-size detached-home measure rose 19.6% year over year and sits only 0.9% below its 2022 high, while several other cities remain materially below their 2022 levels.
05
Negotiation remains part of the market
Detached homes sold at an average 2.8% discount to list and attached homes at 3.8%. Only 11.0% of Valley homes sold above list price.
Luxury Market Spotlight
Luxury sales remain a major force in the desert market.
Homes priced at $1 million and above accounted for 45.3% of all Valley residential dollar sales in August. The $1M–$1.999M bracket generated approximately $87 million per month, while homes priced at $2M and above generated approximately $86 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
45.3%
of total dollar sales
from $1M+ homes
September Summary
Market at a Glance
Prices
The median detached-home price ended September at $624,000, down 0.3% from a year ago. Attached homes ended at $425,000, up 1.2%. Average-size detached-home changes ranged from +19.6% in Indian Wells to -5.0% in Desert Hot Springs.
Sales
The three-month average was 483 home sales per month versus 543 a year ago, an 11.0% decline. Palm Springs led with 97 monthly sales, followed by Palm Desert at 93 and Indio at 71. Average monthly dollar sales totaled $383 million.
Inventory & Supply
Valley inventory finished September at 2,765 homes, down 1.2% from last year. Months of sales measured 4.5 months versus 4.6 months a year ago. Palm Desert had the highest city ratio at 6.6 months.
Selling Times
Median days in the market was 57 days, three days lower than a year ago. Coachella was fastest at 31 days, while Bermuda Dunes had the longest median selling time at 91 days.
Negotiating Room
Detached homes sold at an average 2.8% discount to list price and attached homes at a 3.8% discount. The share of homes selling above list was 11.0%, compared with 11.4% last year.
Sales vs. Historic Norms
The seasonally adjusted Sales Recovery Chart places current sales 33.7% below the 2016–2019 historic norm, showing transaction activity remains subdued even as Valley-wide prices have been comparatively resilient.
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.
57 days
Valley median market time
Homes are taking long enough for buyers to compare options and perform due diligence.
-2.8%
Detached-home discount
The average detached sale closed below asking price; attached homes averaged a 3.8% discount.
11.0%
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 97, followed by Palm Desert at 93 and Indio at 71.
Dollar Sales by City
Average monthly dollar sales in millions. La Quinta leads at approximately $77 million, followed by Palm Springs at $73 million and Palm Desert at $63 million.
Inventory by City
Active inventory as of October 1, 2026. Palm Desert has 612 homes for sale and Palm Springs has 599.
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 4.5 months. The report considers a regional ratio under 6.0 months a balanced market.
Median Days on Market by City
The Valley median is 57 days. Coachella is fastest at 31 days; Bermuda Dunes is highest at 91 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, September 2026. MLS data source identified by the report as FLEX. The report notes that 3%–5% of monthly sales may be entered after month-end and incorporated in later updates.