Cathedral City is one of the newer communities in the Coachella Valley, having just been incorporated in 1981. It is a natural extension of the Palm Springs real estate market, starting out in 1925 as a housing subdivision. The town’s name goes back a long way to 1850 when the area was named after the rock formations that mark its western boundaries.
The city has both newer and more established neighborhoods of single family houses and condominiums. Cathedral City has become the second largest community in the valley, with a population of 52,220 (2021 census). Properties for sale here are less expensive than those in Palm Springs.
Since its incorporation, the city has embarked on an aggressive expansion program to create a vibrant city center to attract new businesses. That effort is starting to see results with a major five year infra-structure project initiated in 2006 for The Cove area. In addition, a new casino was built by the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in downtown Cathedral City and opened in November 2020.
In August 2023 the housing price for average sized detached homes was $561,625 and for attached homes (condos) was $336,674. The median household income was $56,671.