Pros and Cons of Palm Springs (Palm Desert, La Quinta: insurance, homes, school district)

[Arcticgirl31]

Hey there,

We are currently living in the Canadian Arctic. Originally from Vancouver BC. We are looking into Southern California to be our next home. We love the mid century homes in Palm Springs and we would love the heat.
I'm just wondering if any of the Palm Springs locals can tell me the good and bad points of the area and answer a few of my questions....

How are the public schools?

Are there non-religious private schools?

What areas are best for families?

Average utility bills for winter and summer?

Is Palm Springs a dog friendly place? (We have a german shepherd and a husky.)

Also I'm still trying to understand the American healthcare system, any info on that would be appreciated.

Or can anyone recommend other areas in Southern California?

Thanks!

[Twinkle Toes]

There are non-religious private schools, but I'm not sure about Palm Springs. I'm in La Quinta and Palm Desert (lived in PD, currently lie in LQ, but will be moving back to PD at some point). The Palm Valley School, which is a non-religious private school, is in Rancho Mirage. Yes, the area is dog-friendly. If you've only checked into Palm Springs, you might also want to check out Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, La Quinta, and Indian Wells. Some parts of Palm Springs are really nice, but other parts are downright scary.

As far as utilities are concerned, it depends on the size of the home, and whether you are in SCE or IID territory. During winter, your utilities are going to be much less than during summer. During summer you will be running your A/C continuously. If you have a pool/spa, you will also be running your equipment year-round.

As far as public schools go, I can only speak from my own experience. Both of my kids went to Palm Desert High School (one is a junior currently) and we've found the school to be excellent. We currently live in the La Quinta High School district, and have friends who's kids go there. LQHS, from what I've heard, is also a really good school.

I don't know about US healthcare vs. Canadian healthcare, but I do know we have a world-class facility in Rancho Mirage - Eisenhower Medical Center. While I have Kaiser insurance, and primarily use the Kaiser facility in Palm Desert, which I am very happy with, I have been to Eisenhower for other services/procedures not covered by Kaiser, and have always found Eisenhower to be top-notch.

[Arcticgirl31]

Thank you for the info Twinkle Toes!