Palm Desert is a city in the Coachella Valley region of Riverside County, California. The city is located in the Colorado Desert arm of the Sonoran Desert, about east of Palm Springs, northeast of San Diego and east of Los Angeles. The population was 51,163 at the 2020 census, and the city has been one of the state's fastest-growing since 1980, when its population was 11,801.

History Palm Desert is in the ancestral homeland of two now-extinct Cahuilla tribes - the Las Palmas band and the San Cayetano band - of the Cahuilla people, who are nowadays organized as a division of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

The area was first known as the Old MacDonald Ranch before the name changed to Palm Village in the 1920s when date palm groves were planted. That original tract is today referred to as the Palma Village neighborhood in the central part of the city. Most of the pre–World War II residents of Palm Desert were Cahuilla farmers of the San Cayetano band. The Montoya family of Cahuilla and Spanish descent were prominent civic leaders in the early years of Palm Desert.

The first large-scale residential development began in 1943 in connection with the United States Army's Desert Training Center, constructed in the area under the leadership of General George S. Patton during the Second World War in preparation for fighting in North Africa. After the war, the part of the site south of Highway 111 was developed into "El Paseo," an upscale shopping district modeled after Rodeo Drive. In 1948, the Palm Desert Corporation began to develop real estate, and in 1951 the area was given its present name.

After the war, Randall J. Henderson, publisher of Desert Magazine, relocated the magazine to the area and built a modern Pueblo-inspired building near Highway 111 and El Paseo with architect Harry J. Williams. His brother, aviation promoter Colonel Clifford W. Henderson, had envisioned a planned desert community. Clifford Henderson acquired approximately 1,622 acres and in March 1945 formed the Palm Desert Corporation with investors including Edgar Bergen and Leonard Firestone.

The Henderson brothers, assisted by landscape designer Tommy Tomson (their brother-in-law), devised the street plan and aesthetic layout. Phil and Carl Henderson, brothers of Randall and Clifford, also contributed; however, Phil died in the late 1940s before the development was completed.

A U.S. Post Office opened on July 14, 1947. In 1948, the Palm Desert Corporation began construction of the Shadow Mountain Club, featuring a figure-eight pool, golf course, hotel, restaurant, and entertainment amenities. In 1951, the town adopted the name Palm Desert and absorbed Palm Village.

On November 26, 1973, Palm Desert was incorporated as the 17th city in Riverside County. At incorporation, the city covered about 8.5 square miles with a population of approximately 14,166. Since then, both population and area have expanded significantly.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and , or 0.76%, is water.

The elevation (at City Hall) is above sea level. Elevations vary from the lower northern half once covered in sand dunes to the upper slope southern cove () all the way to the ridgeline at . Palm Desert is in the Coachella Valley, the northwestern extension of the Sonoran Desert.

Climate The Coachella Valley's climate is influenced by high mountain ranges on three sides and a south-sloping valley floor contribute to its year-round warmth. Its winters are among the warmest in the western U.S. Palm Desert has a hot desert climate: its average annual high temperature is and average annual low is , but summer highs above are common and sometimes exceed , while summer night lows often stay above . Winters are warm, with daytime highs between . Under of annual precipitation is average, with over 348 days of sunshine per year. The mean annual temperature, at , makes Palm Desert one of the warmest places in the country. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Palm Desert was , on July 6, 1905.

The surrounding mountains create a thermal belt in the southern foothills of Palm Desert, namely Cahuilla Hills and Bighorn, leading to a 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.

Demographics +Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)10,34319,35931,91934,11532,53588.43%83.26%77.56%70.42%63.59%Black or African American alone (NH)1401974467829351.20%0.85%1.08%1.61%1.83%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)61771171431200.52%0.33%0.28%0.30%0.23%Asian alone (NH)1393991171,5872,3641.19%1.72%2.52%3.28%4.62%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)3449570.08%0.10%0.11%Other race alone (NH)242446782180.21%0.10%0.12%0.16%0.43%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)xx5266531,619xx1.28%1.35%3.16%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,0943,1967,03111,03813,3159.35%13.75%17.08%22.78%26.02%Total11,69623,25241,15548,44551,153100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Palm Desert had a population of 51,163, a 5.6% increase from 48,445 in 2010. The median age was 56.1 years. 13.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 36.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.0 males age 18 and over.

99.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 24,508 households in Palm Desert, of which 17.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.5% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 35,755 housing units, of which 31.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 35,139 68.7% Black or African American 1,022 2.0% American Indian and Alaska Native 424 0.8% Asian 2,440 4.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 71 0.1% Some other race 6,161 12.0% Two or more races 5,906 11.5%

2010 census The 2010 United States census reported that Palm Desert had a population of 48,445. The population density was . The racial makeup of Palm Desert was 39,957 (82.5%) White (70.4% Non-Hispanic White), 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. There were 11,038 residents of Hispanic or Latino origin (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 , 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.

2000 census According to the 2000 United States census, there were 41,155 people, 19,184 households, and 11,414 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 28,021 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.8% White, 1.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific 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.

The age distribution of the population was 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.

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.

Economy

Top employers According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Employer No. of Employees 1JW Marriott Desert Springs Golf ResortMarriott Desert Springs Villas2,3042Universal Protection Service1,5003Securitas7004Avida Caregivers5505Organization of Legal Pro's (sic)5016Sunshine Landscape5007Costco Wholesale2508Big Horn Golf Club2509Yellow Cab of Desert16010Whole Foods Market150

Recreation Palm Desert is the home of the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, a combination zoo and botanical garden featuring over 500 animals from 150 species over . The location also hosts an extensive collection of desert plants with a state-of-the-art animal hospital. Founded in 1970, The Living Desert hosts over 500,000 visitors a year.

Resorts, tennis, and golf clubs

There are around thirty golf courses throughout the city which has a long history with the sport. Palm Desert is home to hundreds of tennis courts, both public and private. Pickleball has also gained popularity throughout the region in the 2010s and 2020s.

The city's first golf course and tennis club was Shadow Mountain in 1948, 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 east of the original city, was formally annexed in 1992. The total number of golf clubs (more than 30 located within from the city) have made Palm Desert known as the "World's Golf Capital."