Palm Desert, California

City of Palm Desert
City

Modern art display on El Paseo's median.
Nickname(s): P.D.
Motto: "Feel The Warmth"

Location of Palm Desert, California
City of Palm Desert

Location in the United States

Coordinates: 33°43′20″N 116°22′28″W / 33.72222°N 116.37444°W / 33.72222; -116.37444Coordinates: 33°43′20″N 116°22′28″W / 33.72222°N 116.37444°W / 33.72222; -116.37444[1]
Country United States
State California
County Riverside
Incorporated November 26, 1973[2]
Government
 • Mayor Susan Marie Weber[3]
Area[4]
 • Total 27.014 sq mi (69.966 km2)
 • Land 26.810 sq mi (69.437 km2)
 • Water 0.204 sq mi (0.529 km2)  0.76%
Elevation[1] 220 ft (67 m)
Population (April 1, 2010)[5]
 • Total 48,445
 • Estimate (2013)[5] 50,508
 • Density 1,800/sq mi (690/km2)
Time zone Pacific (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 92210, 92211, 92255, 92260, 92261
Area codes 442/760
FIPS code 06-55184
GNIS feature IDs 1652767, 2411356
Website www.cityofpalmdesert.org

Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately 14 miles (23 km) east of Palm Springs and 122 miles (196 km) east of Los Angeles. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census. The city was one of the state's fastest growing in the 1980s and 1990s, beginning with 11,801 residents in 1980, doubling to 23,650 in 1990, 35,000 in 1995, and nearly double its 1990 population by 2000.

A major center of growth in the Palm Springs area, Palm Desert is a popular retreat for "snowbirds" from colder climates (the Eastern and Northern United States, and Canada), who swell its population by an estimated 31,000 each winter. In the past couple of years Palm Desert has seen more residents become "full-timers", mainly from the coasts and urban centers of California, who have come for both affordable and high-valued home prices.

History

The area was first known as the Old MacDonald Ranch, but the name changed to Palm Village in the 1920s when date palms were planted. Local historians said the main residents of pre-1950 Palm Desert were Cahuilla Indian farmers of the now extinct San Cayetano tribe, but a few members of the Montoya family of Cahuilla/Spanish descent were prominent leaders in civic life.

The first residential development occurred in 1943 in connection with an Army maintenance camp in the area. That site was later developed into "El Paseo", an upscale shopping district not unlike Rodeo Drive. In 1948, the Palm Desert Corporation began to develop real estate, and in 1951 the area was given its present name.

Many celebrities keep homes in Palm Desert, including Rita Rudner and more recently, the current home of professional golfer Michelle Wie and one of the homes of Bill Gates. Film producer Jerry Weintraub calls Palm Desert his second home. With only 1,500 permanent residents, the community was incorporated on November 26, 1973. At the time, Palm Desert was a master planned community situated in the desert that used to stretch from Palm Springs to Indio.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.0 square miles (70 km2), of which, 26.8 square miles (69 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of it (0.76%) is water.

The elevation (City hall) is 224 feet (68 m) above sea level. Elevations vary from the lower northern half once covered in sand dunes to the upper slope southern cove (300–900 feet or 91–274 metres) all the way to the ridgeline at 1,000 feet (over 300 meters). Palm Desert is located in the Coachella Valley, the north-western extension of the Sonoran Desert.

Sun City Palm Desert, California lies on the northern side of Interstate 10 from Palm Desert itself, but is unincorporated and not part of the City of Palm Desert (the original name was Sun City Palm Springs from 1991 to 1996).

Climate

The climate of the Coachella Valley is influenced by the surrounding geography. High mountain ranges on three sides and a south-sloping valley floor all contribute to its unique and year-round warm climate, with the warmest winters in the western United States. Palm Desert has an arid climate: Its average annual high temperature is 89 °F (32 °C) and average annual low is 62 °F (17 °C), but summer highs above 108 °F (42 °C) are common and sometimes exceed 120 °F (49 °C), while summer night lows often stay above 82 °F (28 °C). Winters are warm with daytime highs between 73–84 °F (23–29 °C). Under 5 inches (130 mm) of annual precipitation are average, with over 348 days of sunshine per year. The mean annual temperature at 75.8 °F (24.3 °C) makes Palm Desert one of the warmest places in the United States. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Palm Desert was 125 °F (52 °C) on July 6, 1905.[6] The surrounding mountains create a thermal belt[7] in the southern foothills of Palm Desert, leading to a unique micro-climate with significantly warmer night-time temperatures during the winter months. The University of California maintains weather stations located in this thermal belt as part of their ecological project in the Philip L. Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center.

Climate data for Palm Desert, California, elev. 10 feet (3.0 m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 97
(36)		 100
(38)		 103
(39)		 109
(43)		 117
(47)		 123
(51)		 125
(52)		 121
(49)		 122
(50)		 115
(46)		 101
(38)		 93
(34)		 125
(52)
Average high °F (°C) 71.9
(22.2)		 75.3
(24.1)		 81.3
(27.4)		 87.5
(30.8)		 95.7
(35.4)		 103.1
(39.5)		 107.3
(41.8)		 106.6
(41.4)		 102.0
(38.9)		 91.9
(33.3)		 79.6
(26.4)		 71.0
(21.7)		 89.5
(31.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 58.3
(14.6)		 61.6
(16.4)		 68.1
(20.1)		 74.1
(23.4)		 81.7
(27.6)		 88.6
(31.4)		 93.8
(34.3)		 93.4
(34.1)		 88.0
(31.1)		 77.8
(25.4)		 65.7
(18.7)		 57.6
(14.2)		 75.8
(24.3)
Average low °F (°C) 44.6
(7)		 48.0
(8.9)		 54.8
(12.7)		 60.7
(15.9)		 67.7
(19.8)		 74.2
(23.4)		 80.3
(26.8)		 80.3
(26.8)		 74.0
(23.3)		 63.7
(17.6)		 51.8
(11)		 44.2
(6.8)		 62.1
(16.7)
Record low °F (°C) 13
(−11)		 20
(−7)		 25
(−4)		 33
(1)		 38
(3)		 45
(7)		 59
(15)		 56
(13)		 46
(8)		 31
(−1)		 23
(−5)		 19
(−7)		 13
(−11)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.56
(14.2)		 0.64
(16.3)		 0.43
(10.9)		 0.05
(1.3)		 0.07
(1.8)		 0.01
(0.3)		 0.04
(1)		 0.54
(13.7)		 0.04
(1)		 0.26
(6.6)		 0.18
(4.6)		 0.62
(15.7)		 3.44
(87.4)
Source: www.ncdc.noaa.gov[8]
Climate data for Palm Desert, California – Boyd Deep Canyon Ctr (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 69.6
(20.9)		 72.0
(22.2)		 77.5
(25.3)		 84.6
(29.2)		 92.5
(33.6)		 100.8
(38.2)		 104.4
(40.2)		 104.0
(40)		 99.1
(37.3)		 88.7
(31.5)		 77.0
(25)		 68.5
(20.3)		 86.6
(30.3)
Average low °F (°C) 51.1
(10.6)		 53.1
(11.7)		 56.1
(13.4)		 60.6
(15.9)		 66.2
(19)		 73.0
(22.8)		 78.6
(25.9)		 79.5
(26.4)		 75.9
(24.4)		 68.0
(20)		 57.9
(14.4)		 50.2
(10.1)		 64.2
(17.9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.86
(21.8)		 0.86
(21.8)		 0.56
(14.2)		 0.16
(4.1)		 0.07
(1.8)		 0.02
(0.5)		 0.44
(11.2)		 0.59
(15)		 0.53
(13.5)		 0.24
(6.1)		 0.44
(11.2)		 0.69
(17.5)		 5.52
(140.2)
Source: deepcanyon.ucnrs.org[9]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
198011,801—
199023,25297.0%
200041,15577.0%
201048,44517.7%
Est. 201451,202[10]5.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

2010

The 2010 United States Census[12] reported that Palm Desert had a population of 48,445. The population density was 1,793.3 people per square mile (692.4/km2). The racial makeup of Palm Desert was 39,957 (82.5%) White (70.4% Non-Hispanic White),[13] 875 (1.8%) African American, 249 (0.5%) Native American, 1,647 (3.4%) Asian, 55 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 4,427 (9.1%) from other races, and 1,235 (2.5%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,038 persons (22.8%).

The Census reported that 48,137 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, 98 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 210 (0.4%) were institutionalized.

There were 23,117 households, out of which 4,253 (18.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 10,253 (44.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,177 (9.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 811 (3.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,227 (5.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 373 (1.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 7,948 households (34.4%) were made up of individuals and 4,370 (18.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08. There were 13,241 families (57.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.65.

The population was spread out with 7,534 people (15.6%) under the age of 18, 3,333 people (6.9%) aged 18 to 24, 8,731 people (18.0%) aged 25 to 44, 12,924 people (26.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 15,923 people (32.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53.0 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

There were 37,073 housing units at an average density of 1,372.4 per square mile (529.9/km2), of which 15,171 (65.6%) were owner-occupied, and 7,946 (34.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 16.8%. 30,667 people (63.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,470 people (36.1%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Palm Desert had a median household income of $53,456, with 9.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.[13]

2000

As of the census[14] of 2000, there were 41,155 people, 19,184 households, and 11,414 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,689.1 people per square mile (652.0/km2). There were 28,021 housing units at an average density of 1,150.0 per square mile (443.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.8% White, 1.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.1% Race and ethnicity in the United States CensusPacific Islander, 6.5% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.1% of the population.

There are 19,184 households in Palm Desert, out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 2.7. The demographics of Palm Desert shows a rising population of children and young adults.

In the city the population was spread out with 17.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 27.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. Palm Desert with the rest of the Coachella Valley has a large senior citizen (over age of 55) community, most of them have annual personal incomes exceeding well over $100,000.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,000 and the median income for a family was $58,183. Males had a median income of $42,257 versus $32,202 for females. The per capita income for the city was $33,463. About 5.9% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over. Palm Desert is considered an upper-class community, having an above average median income compared both to California and the nation. The median income that is stated in the census data is lower than the actual median income because there are a large number of seasonal residents and senior citizens.

Economy

Top employers

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[15] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 JW Marriott Desert Springs Golf Resort 2,000
2 Universal Protection Services 1,500
3 Guthy-Renker 825
4 Securitas 700
5 Desert Arc 400
6 Wal-Mart 350
7 Marriott Desert Springs Villas 304
8 Macy's 301
9 Toscana Country Club 300
10 Bighorn Golf Club 250

Shopping and commerce

Rapid growth and several annexations in the 1980s and 1990s have made Palm Desert a major shopping destination and the main center of business activity in the Coachella Valley. The city has evolved as a major shopping destination following the development of Westfield Palm Desert which opened in 1983. This development was followed by One Eleven Town Center, Town Center Plaza and Desert Crossing which included Target and other national anchors.

El Paseo Drive is downtown Palm Desert's main shopping street. The area around the street has evolved into an upscale shopping district featuring 150 boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. El Paseo is often compared to Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive due its concentration of posh retail outlets and lush landscaping. The street runs parallel to State Route 111, which serves as the main thoroughfare in the Palm Springs metropolitan area.

Palm Desert residents have shown concern in protecting the desert environment by promoting natural landscaping and artistic sculptures. Fred Waring Drive has been expanded into a six-lane major traffic fare, encouraging new retail centers and commercial zones.

Culture

The city is home to the Palm Desert Scene, a unique musical genre that has been heavily influential internationally since the early 1990s. Many of the Palm Desert bands are credited for starting the rock/metal subgenre known as stoner rock. Bands including Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, and Eagles Of Death Metal have become some of the most renowned rock bands in the world today.

Over half of the Palm Desert's growing population is over 50 years old. The city had a doubling of persons over age 55 in the 2000s, to reverse a previous trend of a "younger" population of all ages and once again, Palm Desert has a "gray" majority.

Sociopolitically, Palm Desert historically leaned conservatively towards the Republican party, although as of late many residents are registered Democrat.

Homeowners are a mixture of year-round residents and winter/second homes, mostly from the Pacific Northwest and urban centers across California. The second home market attracts an international population, particularly Canadians since the 1970s. Increasing numbers of Europeans, Australians and east Asians are buying up real estate. The global appeal of Palm Desert as the "place to be" for tourists has made it home to thousands of retired people from around the world.

Palm Desert is a multi-ethnic community with affluent African-Americans, Latin Americans and Asian Americans. There are also populations of Arabic, Armenian, Cuban, Filipino, German, Irish, Italian, Iranian, Polish, Puerto Rican, Swedish ancestry, South Americans and ethnicities which fall under the umbrella of the former Yugoslavia. The city has one of California's largest Jewish communities. The largest international ethnic group in Palm Desert are Mexicans.

In 2001 Huell Howser Productions, in association with KCET/Los Angeles, featured Palm Desert in California's Gold; the 28 minute program is available as a VHS videorecording.[16]

Sports

Resorts and golf clubs

The city's first golf course and tennis club was Shadow Mountain in 1952, followed by Marrakesh in 1954, the Palm Desert Greens mobile home park golf course in 1961, and the Palm Desert Country Club in 1962. The latter, located five miles (8 km) east of the original city, was formally annexed in 1992. The total number of golf clubs (more than 30 located within 10 miles from the city) have made Palm Desert known as the "World's Golf Capital."

Desert Willow Golf Resor" is the City Of Palm Desert's municipal golf course, and has two championship courses: Mountain View and Firecliff. It is associated with the Westin Desert Willow Resort at the golf course location. The Firecliff course is listed at #13 in Golf Magazine's 'Best Courses you can Play' 2010 list for California.

In the late-1970s and 1980s, a spate of private golf clubs, destination resorts and hotels appeared in the northern half of Palm Desert, such as the four-star JW Marriott Desert Springs Golf Resort and Spa[17] in 1987 and the four-star Desert Willow Golf Resort[18] in 2002. The city has over 30 motels and 5,000 motel rooms, since lodging and hospitality is a major portion of the local tourist-based economy.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Palm Desert is in the 28th Senate District, represented by Republican Jeff Stone, and in the 42nd Assembly District, represented by Republican Chad Mayes.[19]

In the United States House of Representatives, Palm Desert is in California's 36th congressional district, represented by Democrat Raul Ruiz.[20]

Public safety

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has one of its stations located in Palm Desert. That station provides police services to the municipalities of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and Indian Wells.

The city of Palm Desert contracts for fire and paramedic services with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE.[21] Palm Desert currently has three fire stations, which are Station 33, (Town Center), Station 67 (Mesa View), and Station 71 (North Palm Desert). Each fire station provides an engine company and a paramedic ambulance. Fire station 33 also has a truck company.

Education

Palm Desert is the home of the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, a combination zoo and botanical garden featuring an extensive collection of desert plants and animals and a state-of-the-art animal hospital.

Palm Desert is also the site of the main campus of College of the Desert, the local community college, which has expanded greatly in size since the campus opened in 1961 and one of the buildings was built by donations from the local Cahuilla Indian tribal nations. The state higher education system opened an extension campus duplex (the Indian Wells Education center for both California State University, San Bernardino and the University of California Riverside.

The primary high school is Palm Desert High School (with 2200 students) which is part of the Desert Sands Unified School District. The main Middle School (with 1100 students) is Palm Desert Middle School, a charter school. The four elementary schools in the city include: George Washington Charter, Abraham Lincoln, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. A northernmost part of Palm Desert and easternmost part of Rancho Mirage is served by the Palm Springs Unified School District, so the students can attend Rancho Mirage High School[22] in Rancho Mirage, or Nellie Coffman Middle School and Cathedral City High School in Cathedral City, California. Some students are also zoned to La Quinta High School and Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School.

The Riverside County Department of Education operates San Cayetano Community School, a grade 1 to 12 educational facility. Palm Desert has 8 private schools in the immediate area : Desert Adventist Academy, Palm Desert Presbyterian School, Sacred Heart Catholic Academy, Marywood-Palm Valley School, the Learning Tree Academy, Xavier College Preparatory High School (Catholic-Jesuit), the Hope Academy,[23] and the Desert Torah Academy, a Jewish community school and its social recreational Jewish Community Center. It also has meetings by the United Jewish Congress of the Desert based in Palm Springs.

Infrastructure

Utilities

Electricity in Palm Desert is served by Southern California Edison.

Transportation

Modern transportation services include:

Highways include:

SR 111 – California State Route 111, which intersects the city.
I‑10 – Interstate 10 runs north of the city.
SR 74 – The Pines to Palms Scenic Byway (California State Route 74) runs from the coast, over the San Jacinto Mountains and has its eastern terminus in Palm Desert.

Cemeteries

The Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City is maintained by the Palm Springs Cemetery District.[24] Also in Cathedral City is the Forest Lawn Cemetery, maintained by Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries.

Attractions

Parks

The city of Palm Desert has 14 parks.[25]

South of Palm Desert is the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument[26] and North of Palm Desert is the Coachella Valley Fringe-Toed Lizard Reserve.

Sister cities

Palm Desert had been in the sister cities program, as designated by Sister Cities International. Six to nine cities that are or were associated with Palm Desert:

Palm Desert has a community exchange program with

Also a community exchange relationship with the major city of Concepcion, Chile, so far the most populous one.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Palm Desert". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ "California Cities by Incorporation Date" (Word). California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Meet Your Representatives". City of Palm Desert. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  4. ↑ "2010 Census U.S. Gazetteer Files – Places – California". United States Census Bureau.
  5. 1 2 "Palm Desert (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  6. ↑ "INDIO FIRE STN, CALIFORNIA - Climate Summary". dri.edu.
  7. ↑ http://ocw.usu.edu/forest__range__and_wildlife_sciences/wildland_fire_management_and_planning/Unit_3__Topography___Fire_Behavior_9.html
  8. ↑ NOAA. "1981–2010 MONTHLY NORMALS for Indio, CA". NOAA. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  9. ↑ University of California. "Weather Data at Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center". University of California; Temperatures normalized for period from 1981-2010. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Palm Desert city". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Palm Desert (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau".
  14. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  15. ↑ City of Palm Desert CAFR
  16. ↑ OCLC 47732515
  17. ↑ "Palm Desert Hotels - JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa". Marriott.
  18. ↑ Desert Willow Golf Resort
  19. ↑ "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  20. ↑ "California's 36th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
  21. ↑ "Service Area". rvcfire.org.
  22. ↑ "Rancho Mirage High School". Rancho Mirage High School.
  23. ↑ http://www.hopeacademycharter.org/palmdesert
  24. ↑ "Palm Springs Cemetery District - Desert Memorial Park and Welwood Murray Cemetery". pscemetery.com.
  25. ↑ "City of Palm Desert : Our Parks". cityofpalmdesert.org.
  26. ↑ "BLM California: Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument". blm.gov. October 2, 2015.

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palm Desert, California.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Palm Desert.


 Thousand Palms Sky Valley Sun City Palm Desert
Bermuda Dunes
Rancho Mirage Bermuda Dunes
Indian Wells
   Palm Desert  
Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Santa Rosa Mountains Indian Wells
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