Key takeaway: In August 2026, Coachella Valley closed 523 sales at a $550,000 median while active inventory fell to 3,015 homes and months of supply tightened to 4.8. Pending activity rose even as closed sales eased, so the late-summer story is thinner shelves and city-level splits, not a single valley-wide crash.
Figures below come from the California Desert Association of REALTORS® (CDAR) Monthly Market Summary for August 2026, all property types. Year-over-year compares August 2025; month-over-month compares July 2026.
Coachella Valley housing market overview, August 2026
Valley-wide unit sales totaled 523, down 4.7% from 549 a year earlier and down 6.1% from 557 in July. The median sale price was $550,000, off 5.2% from $580,000 in August 2025 and 4.3% from $575,000 in July. Average sale price per square foot landed at $378 (down 2.3% year over year and 9.9% month over month).
Inventory is the clearer signal. Active listings fell to 3,015, down 23.0% year over year and 10.6% from 3,372 in July. Months of supply compressed to 4.8 (down 25.4% year over year and 10.3% month over month). Median days on market were 76, essentially flat year over year (−1.3%) and up 5.6% from July. Sales closed at 96.2% of list price.
New listings numbered 767 (−13.0% YoY, −3.5% MoM). Homes that went to contract rose to 582, up 10.2% from August 2025 and 2.5% from July. Closed sales cooled a bit; contracts did not. That gap is worth watching city by city as season approaches.
For neighborhood context beyond the monthly summary, see our May 2026 city-by-city market breakdown and current Coachella Valley homes for sale.
Palm Springs
Palm Springs closed 87 sales in August, down 21.6% from 111 a year ago and 34.6% from 133 in July. The median sale price was $549,950, down 12.7% from $630,000 in August 2025 and 9.1% from $605,000 in July. Price per square foot averaged $461.
Inventory sat at 664 homes (−16.8% YoY, −7.1% from 715 in July) with 5.0 months of supply. Days on market held at 75. Sales to list price were 95.0%. New listings rose to 168 (+7.7% MoM), while went-to-contract activity fell to 88 (−26.7% YoY, −26.1% MoM). Closed volume and pending volume both cooled here in August.
For architecture-focused shopping, start with our Palm Springs homes for sale and the recent Palm Springs luxury market update (Altos, Aug. 31).
Palm Desert
Palm Desert was one of the stronger volume stories. Unit sales reached 113, up 27.0% from 89 in August 2025 and 16.5% from 97 in July. The median sale price was $525,000, nearly flat year over year (−0.9% from $530,000) but down 14.6% from July’s $615,000 median, a classic mix shift month.
Inventory fell to 669 (−20.3% YoY, −10.4% from 747). Months of supply were 4.8. Days on market were 80. Average sale price per square foot was $381. Sales to list price improved to 96.7%. New listings jumped to 171 (+21.3% MoM, flat YoY), and went to contract surged to 131 (+54.1% YoY, +36.5% MoM). More closings, more pendings, and a thinner shelf.
Browse Palm Desert homes for sale or our Palm Desert living guide.
Rancho Mirage
Rancho Mirage closed 50 sales, down 3.8% from 52 both year over year and month over month. The median sale price was $822,485, down 12.7% from $942,000 in August 2025 and 7.7% from $891,000 in July. Price per square foot averaged $416.
Inventory was 303 (−16.1% YoY, −10.6% from 339) with 5.0 months of supply. Days on market rose to 75 (+19.0% MoM). Sales to list price were 95.3%. New listings totaled 67 (−10.7% YoY, −15.2% MoM). Went to contract: 43 (−15.7% YoY, −24.6% MoM). Pricing is softer than last summer’s medians; supply is still draining.
See Rancho Mirage homes for sale and our Rancho Mirage neighborhood guide.
La Quinta
La Quinta closed 72 sales, down 6.5% from 77 a year earlier and flat with July. The median sale price rose to $727,000, up 7.7% from $675,000 in August 2025 and 4.2% from $698,000 in July. Average sale price per square foot was $430.
Inventory dropped sharply to 386 (−29.6% YoY, −11.5% from 436) with 4.3 months of supply. Days on market were 84. Sales to list price were 96.7%. New listings slowed to 98 (−24.0% YoY, −11.7% MoM), while went to contract climbed to 85 (+18.1% YoY, +16.4% MoM). Higher median, thinner inventory, stronger pending flow.
Continue with La Quinta homes for sale and our La Quinta living guide.
Indian Wells
Indian Wells closed 20 sales, up 42.9% from 14 in August 2025 and 5.3% from 19 in July. The median sale price was $1,100,000, up 16.4% from $945,000 a year ago. Versus July’s $2,500,000 median, August looks like a 56.0% drop. With only 20 sales, that swing is a thin-sample and product-mix effect, not proof of a crash. Average sale price per square foot was $506.
Inventory fell to 79 (−30.7% YoY, −29.5% from 112) with 4.0 months of supply. Days on market were 90. Sales to list price were 94.3%. New listings were just 10 (−52.4% YoY, −47.4% MoM). Went to contract matched closings at 20 (+81.8% YoY). In a small city, one month’s median can jump when a handful of estates close; read Indian Wells with the sample size in mind.
Explore Indian Wells homes for sale.
Indio
Indio closed 67 sales, down 26.4% from 91 in August 2025 and up 1.5% from 66 in July. The median sale price held at $570,000 year over year and rose 4.6% from $545,000 in July. Price per square foot averaged $283.
Inventory was 405 (−27.9% YoY, −12.0% from 460) with 5.1 months of supply. Days on market stretched to 92 (+15.0% YoY, +29.6% MoM). Sales to list price were 95.9%. New listings: 128. Went to contract jumped to 111 (+33.7% YoY, +37.0% MoM). Closed sales are lighter than last August; pending activity is not.
See Indio homes for sale and our Indio 2026 market and lifestyle guide.
Cathedral City
Cathedral City closed 50 sales, down 15.3% from 59 a year earlier and 3.8% from 52 in July. The median sale price was $503,500 (−2.2% YoY from $515,000, +2.2% MoM from $492,000). Average sale price per square foot was $306.
Inventory fell to 205 (−25.7% YoY, −9.3% from 226) with 4.5 months of supply. Days on market were 62, the quickest among the larger cities in this set. Sales to list price reached 99.1%. New listings slowed to 48 (−36.0% YoY, −15.8% MoM). Went to contract: 38 (−9.5% YoY, −32.1% MoM). Pricing is stable; list-to-sale ratios are tight.
Browse Cathedral City homes for sale.
Desert Hot Springs
Desert Hot Springs closed 38 sales, nearly flat year over year (−2.6% from 39) and down 11.6% from 43 in July. The median sale price was $413,542, up 0.9% from $410,000 in August 2025 and 10.3% from $375,000 in July. Price per square foot averaged $238.
Inventory was 207 (−23.9% YoY, −9.6% from 229) with 5.3 months of supply. Days on market were 50, the fastest reading in this report. Sales to list price hit 99.7%. New listings: 57 (−29.6% YoY, −18.6% MoM). Went to contract: 44 (−15.4% YoY, +4.8% MoM). Homes that are priced correctly are still finding buyers quickly here.
See Desert Hot Springs homes for sale.
Coachella
Coachella is a small sample, so treat percentages carefully. Unit sales were 15, up 50.0% from 10 in August 2025 and 36.4% from 11 in July. The median sale price was $525,000 (−2.8% YoY from $540,000, +12.2% MoM from $468,000). Price per square foot averaged $282.
Inventory compressed to 33 (−42.1% YoY, −21.4% from 42) with just 3.5 months of supply, the tightest shelf in this city set. Days on market were 44. Sales to list price were 97.5%. New listings slowed to 6. Went to contract: 12 (+200.0% YoY from a base of 4, −25.0% MoM). Thin inventory and fast days on market define the August read.
Start with Coachella homes for sale.
Frequently asked questions
What was the Coachella Valley median home price in August 2026?
According to CDAR’s Monthly Market Summary (all property types), the valley-wide median sale price in August 2026 was $550,000, down 5.2% from $580,000 in August 2025 and 4.3% from $575,000 in July.
Is Coachella Valley inventory rising or falling in August 2026?
Falling. Active inventory was 3,015 homes, down 23.0% year over year and 10.6% from July’s 3,372. Months of supply tightened to 4.8.
Which Coachella Valley cities saw rising sales in August 2026?
Palm Desert (113 sales, +27.0% YoY), Indian Wells (20, +42.9% YoY), and Coachella (15, +50.0% YoY) posted year-over-year sales gains in this CDAR all-property-types cut. Other cities in the set were flat to down on closed volume.
Why did the Indian Wells median fall so sharply from July to August?
August’s median was $1,100,000 versus July’s $2,500,000 on only 20 sales. That is a thin sample and a mix swing, not evidence of a market crash. Year over year, the Indian Wells median was still up 16.4% from $945,000.
Are homes selling close to list price across the desert?
Valley-wide, sales closed at 96.2% of list price. Cathedral City (99.1%) and Desert Hot Springs (99.7%) ran closest to ask. Indian Wells (94.3%) and Palm Springs (95.0%) showed more negotiation room in the August cut.
Norman Williams and Jacqulyn Stanton of The Stanton Williams Group at Compass read CDAR and Altos numbers against the specific street, product type, and association you are buying or selling. Reach Norman at 760.464.2190 or Jacqulyn at 760.702.2557, or start from current Coachella Valley listings and our May 2026 valley housing update.
Written by Norman Williams of The Stanton Williams Group at Compass. Norman Williams, DRE #02051057. Jacqulyn Stanton, DRE #01369783. All figures: California Desert Association of REALTORS® (CDAR) Monthly Market Summary, August 2026, all property types. Published for general market context, not a valuation of any specific property.
