Growing city in the Coachella Valley
Set about 122 miles east of Los Angeles in the Coachella Valley, Palm Desert is a steadily growing city known for its resort-style living and natural beauty. “The weather’s beautiful here,” says David Kibbey, a broker associate with Desert Sotheby’s International Realty, who has over 17 years of experience. “There’s hundreds of golf courses, lots of parks, tons of hiking trails—we’re close to the mountains, close to the beaches.” Palm Desert was a small farming community in the early 20th century, but by the late 20th century, its scenic desert mountain views were attracting developers of country club communities. Today, the city’s home to about 52,000 residents, and top industries include healthcare, hospitality and retail. “Historically, snowbirds would come here in the winter months to get out of the cold snow and golf, walk, hike and enjoy the weather, but we have more and more year-round people living here now,” Kibbey says. The city’s also known for luxury retail and dining at The Shops on El Paseo, which Kibbey says has made Palm Desert a valley hub for shopping and dining.
The average home price in Palm Desert is about $800,000, compared to $990,000 in Palm Springs and about $580,000 in Indio. “There’s a higher median price here than some of the other cities in the valley, but the prices are significantly less than some of the coastal communities to the west, like Los Angeles or San Diego,” Kibbey says. Many homes and condos here were built during the late 20th century in planned country club communities with shared amenities, like clubhouses and pools; new traditional Spanish- or Pueblo-inspired designs are typical. Homes built over the past 25 years in newer communities are often new traditional ranch-style, some with Spanish details, like red clay-tiled roofs and desert-colored stucco facades. Kibbey says there’s also a lot of high-end real estate. Custom homes in communities like Bighorn Country Club are especially coveted for perks like lakefront or golf course views. In the Silver Spur Community, homebuyers can find RV parking and manufactured homes built during the late 20th century through today with minimal stylings on concrete lots.