Palm Desert is located 11 miles east of Palm Springs and is essentially the geographic center of the Coachella Valley. It was incorporated in 1973 and is the third largest city in the valley, with almost 50,000 residents. In addition to having a considerable number of residential single family and condo housing developments, it is one of the major commercial centers in the valley.

The city offers several fashionable, large upscale malls and the exclusive, trendy El Paseo shopping district. El Paseo is over a mile long with fabulous shops and restaurants lining the street all along its length, and its median is decorated with original outdoor works of art. It's the desert's version of the fashionable shopping district of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Palm Desert is also a major growth venue for retirees, with several popular 55+ retirement retreats having been built in the last ten years. Currently, these retirement communities represent a great relative value and offer residents a vast array of amenities to support an active retirement lifestyle.

The median housing price is $400,000 (in zip code 92211) and $400,500 (in zip code 92260).