Possible relocation to Palm Springs Area -- is it worth it?

[Plantweed]

Wikipedia says almost 350,000.

Coachella Valley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[JohnSoCal]

Originally Posted by Char_Char

Does anyone know approximately what the population is of all the desert cities combined?

The population of the combined 9 cities is approximately 350,000.

Coachella Valley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[JohnSoCal]

Originally Posted by Plantweed

Wikipedia says almost 350,000.

Coachella Valley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sorry, I didn't see your post before I posted. Oh well, at least we are in agreement.

[Char_Char]

And I thank you both

[JohnSoCal]

Originally Posted by somersmom

In a way you're correct -- we've visited the Riverside area a couple times before and know it's not the climate or topography that we prefer, which is why we're doing all this research before considering this job. However, it seems kind of trivial to discount a place based on land and weather. But, if we're also going to be taking a step down in housing, paying more in taxes, getting fewer services, dealing with crummy schools -- which is what preliminary research indicates may be the case -- those would be bigger issues and deal-breakers.

I hate to sound negative, but we're not "California" people. That's not to say that there aren't others who love those things we don't prefer and they would be unhappy where we live. And that's fine.

It sounds like you have already made up your mind. BTW, Palm Springs is not like Riverside. Riverside is a nice city and doesn't have the brutally hot summers like Palm Springs. We live just an hour away from Palm Springs and visit there frequently for 3 day getaways.

[Virtual Beekeeper]

In my 40 plus years of desert living I've noticed that there are desert people and non-desert people, not much in between. You really need to visit the area to see if you're going to ever be desert folks. Everything else you can work out.

I just wanted to amplifie the idea of Desert People and Non-desert People. My Wife and I totally agree with this observation. She and I LOVE the Desert. (We currently live in Cornville, AZ) We both smile when we meet people who ask us..."Is it hot enough for you?" in a sly way of complaining. We both lived for a very long year Klamath Falls area of Oregon and I have two stories to tell you. One day in early June, My neighbor and I were talking. He said to me, 'Man, I had to turn on my Air condition!" I said, 'Really? It's 70' degrees this morning?" He said, "Yeah, I know, HOT ain't it?". Then, one day, my Wife comes home and tells me a story about being in the check out lane of the grocery store. Seems that a lady was saying that she could not figure out why it was so bright outside, then she said, "I realized it was the SUN!"
When my wife told this story to me, I told her we needed to pack our bags and get back to the desert. And we have.
She and I have lived in different parts of the Southwest, We have been down by the boarder and up in the mountains. The sun, the crisp air, the clear skies, the wide open vistas. But, we both know that loving living on the desert means that we are different than others.
If one is thinking of moving to the Desert, they need to heed the advice of murfslaw and other positive posters, Come out here, at different times of the year and stay a while. Find out what makes the desert so magical.
Good luck!

[Alan Gregg]

The desert or more properly known as the Coachella Valley is a very diverse place. You can find all different types of communities from gated developments to golf course communities to non gated neighborhoods of custom homes or regular subdivisions. The schools are diverse as well, but there are quite a few blue ribbon schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District, including Washington Charter Elementary, Palm Desert Middle School and Palm Desert High School, all in Palm Desert. Most of the other high performing schools will generally be found in Indian Wells and La Quinta, but you need to do yor research. As for homes and home prices, for a 3500 sq. ft. home on a .33 acre lot, you are generally looking upwards of approx. $700,000 in south Palm Desert or upwards of $650,000 in La Quinta/Bermuda Dunes Country Club, and $975K and up in Indian Wells, all being in in the Desert Sands School District. There are also 2 community colleges, 2 branches of the State University System, several Museums, fine libraries and shopping and restaurants of all kinds. With the wonderful weather of about eight months of the year and over 320 days of sunshine, and the natural beauty of the desert surroundings including the magestic views of the mountains, the desert can be quite a wonderful place to live. I guess it boils down to what you like, can afford and what you make of it.

[7stringguitarguy]

go for it man . its worth it I think. Maybe not the north coachella valley its really developed ,maybe the middle and the southern part is less developed and more open i think