Desert Hot Springs, also known as DHS, is located north and east of Palm Springs on the eastern side of the valley. It sits at the base of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, and at the western entry to the Joshua Tree National Park. Hundreds of windmills stand as sentries to the north and west of DHS, catching the wind which persistently blows there.

DHS was founded in 1941 and has taken its name after the area's natural hot springs. DHS became a popular tourist destination in the 1950's, as small spa hotels capitalized on the city's natural resource. In the 1980's and 1990's DHS experienced periods of rapid growth as many in-fill projects utilized much of the vacant space within the city limits. While the city still has some remnants of a sleepy town image, that is changing, and DHS presently offers some of the area's most affordable new housing. There are plans to build over 12,000 homes in DHS in the next 10 years, along with the infra-structure to support it. As these homes are built, the population, now at about 19,000 residents, is expected to increase significantly.

The median housing price is $220,000 (in zip code 92241), and $259,000 (in zip code 92240).