Source: Wikipedia.org
Palm Desert, CA has a fabulous climate—if you like it hot—and is a great lifestyle-oriented city. Located just 11 miles from Palm Springs, and of a similar size population-wise, Palm Desert appeals to year-round residents as well as being a popular vacation and winter “snowbird” destination. According to Area Vibes, Palm Desert is an “exceptionally livable” place to reside and is ranked 94th in the whole of California in terms of livability. So what is it about Palm Desert that makes it so great?
Safety in Palm Desert
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department takes care of public safety in Palm Desert, via the Palm Desert sheriff’s station. Although the city’s crime index is 55 percent higher than California as a whole, this is mostly because of a high incidence of property crime; 4,380 per 100,000 people, as opposed to 2,581 per 100,000 in all of California. However, the good news is that violent crime is much lower than in the rest of California—and the entire country—sitting at just 155 per 100k people, while California is 344 per 100k and the national average is 302 per 100k. So while the chance of being a victim of property crime in Palm Desert is 1 in 23, the chance of being a victim of violent crime is just 1 in 645.
Employment and the Economy in Palm Desert
Palm Desert has a low unemployment rate and a good selection of major employers. The economy is strong partly thanks to the fact that this is such a popular vacation destination. There are numerous resorts within the city limits, and one of these, the JW Marriott Desert Springs Golf Resort, is the largest employer with 2,000 people working there. Some of the country clubs are also major employers, including Bighorn Golf Club and Toscana Country Club, while Universal Protection Services have a workforce of 1,500 and Guthy-Renker has 825.
Cost of Living in Palm Desert
Palm Desert attracts residents from all over the country—and the world—because it offers a great quality of life with affordable housing options compared to some cities in California. The mean home value is $384,300 and that’s 14 percent lower than the California average. Overall cost of living may be considered high for some cities—the index is 130 compared to California’s 131 and the national average of 100—but then the city has a great deal to offer. Healthcare, housing, groceries, utilities, and transportation are all more affordable than in California as a whole.
Schools and Education in Palm Desert
Palm Desert may be a popular vacation destination but it doesn’t lack in schools. There is a main high school for the city, Palm Desert High School, and a main middle school, Palm Desert Middle School, along with six elementary schools all named after former presidents. College of the Desert has its main campus here and there’s an extension campus for California State University San Bernardino and the University of California Riverside. High school graduation rates are very good, as are bachelors graduation rates at 31.4% compared to 16.9% average for California.
Air Quality in Palm Desert
It may be due to the heat trapping pollution, and the fact that you need a car to get around Palm Desert, but the air quality index in the city isn’t especially good. It’s 53 percent higher than the California average and just about double the national average. Out of 305 days measured, only a third of those had good air quality, while 70 were deemed poor and 48 unhealthy.
If you’re not sensitive to bad air quality, you like the heat, want low violent crime levels and the lifestyle community sense of living that Palm Desert provides, then this is a great place to live.
