Desert Hot Springs

Desert Hot Springs is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 25,938 at the 2010 census, up from 16,582 at the 2000 census. The city has experienced rapid growth since the 1970s when there were 2,700 residents. It is one of several places in the world with naturally occurring hot and cold mineral springs. More than 20 natural mineral spring lodgings can be found in town. Unlike hot springs with high sulfur content, the mineral springs in town are odorless. Desert Hot Springs was the first city in Southern California to legalize medical marijuana cultivation and has since been overwhelmed by marijuana developers and growers. It was later featured in a CNBC special as California's first city to permit the commercial cultivation of marijuana in 2014. The only people residing in areas north of Palm Springs before the 20th century were the Cahuilla Indians in the village of Seven Palms.:27 They often camped here during winter times due to the warm climate. The Mission Creek Branch of the San Andreas Fault bisecting the area, one side is a cold water aquifer, the other has a hot water Aquifer. The town was founded by L. W. Coffee on July 12, 1941. The original town site was centered at the intersection of Palm Drive and Pierson Boulevard and was only one square mile. It's located just south of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park and is located in the Colorado Desert region of the Sonoran Desert. It has a desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) similar to the rest of the Coachella Valley.

History

Desert Hot Springs is the primary city name, but also Dsrt Hot Spgs are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is Desert Hot Springs, California. Cabot Yerxa arrived in 1913 and soon discovered the hot water aquifer on Miracle Hill. His large Pueblo Revival Style architecture structure, hand built over 20 years, is now one of the oldest adobe-style buildings in Riverside County. L. W. Coffee chose the name Desert Hot Springs because of the area's natural hot springs. The city was the first city in Southern California to legalize medical marijuana cultivation and has since been overwhelmed by marijuana developers and growers. It was later featured in a CNBC special as California's first city to permit the commercial cultivation of marijuana in 2014. It became a tourist destination in the 1950s because of its small spa hotels and boutique hotels. It is popular with "snowbirds" The city's population doubled in the 1980s and increased by 5,000 in the 2000 census. The town was founded by L.W. Coffee on July 12, 1941. The original town site was centered at the intersection of Palm Drive and Pierson Boulevard and was only one square mile. Some homes were bought by retirees, and the area was incorporated as a city in 1963, with 1,000 residents. The first homesteader in the area of the city of Desert Hot springs was Hilda Maude Gray, who staked her claim in 1908. The only people residing in areas north of Palm Springs before the 20th century were the Cahuilla Indians in the village of Seven Palms.:27 Although Cahuila people never settled permanently in today's Desert Hot Spring,:11 they often camped here during winter times due to the warm climate.

Geography

Before the development of the city began in the 1930s, Desert Hot Springs was a treeless place in California's Colorado Desert.:11According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.6 square miles (61 km²), of which 99.89% is land, and 0.11% is water. It is nestled between two mountain ranges: San Bernardino Mountains and San Jacinto Mountains.:8 It is located just south of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park. The city is located in the Colorado Desert region of the Sonoran Desert. It has a population of 2,816. It was named after the town of Desert Hot springs, California, which was founded in the 18th century. The town's name comes from the Spanish word for hot springs, "desert" or "hot springs" and means "spring" in Spanish and "sprinkler" in English. Its name is derived from the word "desire," which means "hot" or sprinkling, and means a place where water is found. It also means "sprung" in the Spanish language, which means'sprinkled' or'sprung' or "sprayed' or "sprung or sprung-sprung". The city's name is also derived from "Desert Hot Springs," which is the name of the town where the city was originally founded. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the city's population is 2,081.

Climate

Desert Hot Springs has a desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with less than six inches of precipitation per year. Summers are very hot with days frequently exceeding 107 °F (42 °C) in July and August. The winters are mild with days typically seeing temperatures between 6878°F (2026°C) and corresponding night-time lows between 5060°F and 7890°F. The Mission Creek Fault, a branch of the San Andreas, separates two aquifers. On one side, the Desert Hot Springs Sub-Basin contains an aquifer with hot water. This aquifer supports the area's spas and resorts. On the other side of the fault, the Miracle Creek sub-basin has cold water, which provides fresh water to the city and has received awards for exceptional taste. The city is on average 5-7 degrees cooler than other communities in Coachella Valley due to the surrounding mountains blocking north winds. Since it lies at a higher elevation than the cities further south, cold air drains into the lower elevation of the Coachellas Valley, which results in warmer night- time lows, producing an example of thermal inversion. Heat waves during the summer months involving temperatures higher than 110 °F [43 °C] are not unusual. Summer winds and the higher elevation keep Desert Hot Springs on average 5 degrees cooler than other cities in Coachella Valley.

Demographics

From having 20 residents in 1941, Desert Hot Springs had 28,000 residents in 2014.:25 The 2010 United States Census reported that Desert Hot springs had a population of 25,938. The racial makeup of the city was 68.2% white, 6.1% black or African American, 1.4% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 6,343 (24.5%) from other races, and 1,293 (5.0%) from two or more races. There were 10,902 housing units at an average density of 461.1 per square mile (178.0/km²), of which 4,166 (48.2%) were owner-occupied, and 4,484 (51.8%) were occupied by renters. The median household income in 2010 was $32,883, with 28.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line. In 2000, there were 16,582 people, 5,859 households, and 3,755 families residing in the city. The average household size was 2.98, and the average family size was 3.59. In the city, the median age was 31.0 years, and for every 100 females aged 18 and over there were 98.4 males. In 2010, the city had a median age of 31.1 years, with 33% under the age of 18, 2,712 people aged 18 to 24, and 6,893 people (26.6%) aged 25 to 44. The city has a population density of 1,097.1 inhabitants per squaremile (423.6/ km²).

Government

Desert Hot Springs is in the Riverside County Supervisor 4th District. It is in California's 36th congressional district, represented by Democrat Raul Ruiz. The 36th District covers most of the desert communities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio, Coachella, Rancho Mirage, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, and Cathedral City. The city is served by Mayor Scott Matas, Mayor Pro Tem Jan Pye, and Council Members Anayeli Zavala, Gary Gardner, and Russell Betts. The Mayor serves a two-year term and is directly elected. Charles Maynard serves as city manager. The council members serve four-year terms, and the mayor serves two years. The mayor is elected to a four- year term. The City of Desert Hot springs is in Riverside County, California, and is located in the northern part of the county. It has a population of about 2,000. It was founded in the 1880s and is one of the first cities in the U.S. to develop in the desert. The town's name is derived from the Spanish word "desert" which means "diamond" or "dewey" and translates to "dirt" in Spanish. It also means "sprinkler" and "springs" in English. The name was adopted by the city's first residents in the early 1900s. The current mayor was elected to his first term in office in 2010. The last mayor was re-elected in 2012.

Public safety

In two separate municipal ballot measures, Desert Hot Springs residents approved a utility users tax and a public safety tax by majorities of over 75 percent. Both measures provide added funding to the police department and other public safety services. The city of Desert Hot springs contracts for fire and paramedic services with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE. The measure was approved by a majority of more than 75 percent in both votes. The measures were approved by majorities in both houses of the city council. The vote was also approved by the city's mayor and the mayor of the town of 5,000 people in the city of 2,500 people. It was the first time the city had passed such a measure in more than a quarter of a century.

Economy

The city is home to windmill farms in the west and also by the San Gorgonio Pass. The mild climate and hot springs make it a popular tourist destination. During the 1950s and 1960s, the town had over 80 spa hotels. In 2001 the town filed for a Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy. The bankruptcy was resolved in 2004 by selling municipal bonds when it faced a legal judgment of almost $6 million. The city is a leading city in renewable energy. The main economy is based on spas, which are mostly owner-operated. Some of the better-known spa hotels in Desert Hot Springs include: The Miracle Springs Resort & Spa, which has been the filming location for multiple movie productions, including Mulholland Falls, Senior Moment, and Hot Springs Hotel. The Two Bunch Palms Resort, which was used as a 1992 filming locations for the movie The Player. The Desert Hot springs Hotel and Spa was featured on California's Gold In 2001 by Huell Howser Productions, in association with KCET/Los Angeles. The town is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and is located on the San Diego-San Diego County line, about 40 miles north of San Diego. It has a population of around 8,000. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (Bureau of Labor & Statistics). The city's population has grown by more than 20% in the last decade.

Modernist architecture

Miracle Manor Retreat, built in 1949, was one of the first spas in town. Desert Hot Springs Motel, designed by architect John Lautner, is located just outside the city limits. In 2006 the architectural firm of Marmol Radziner + Associates designed a sustainable, modernist prefab home featured in the November 2006 issue of Dwell magazine. In 2018, Angela Rutherford, founder and designer of the award-winning wine bar, The Royce, located in Detroit, Michigan, purchased Miracle Manor. The home served as a prototype for the firm's efforts to develop a series of prefab homes. The motel was purchased and restored in 2000 by Steven Lowe. It is now owned and operated by a family of local artists and architects. The hotel is located on the banks of a hot water aquifer on Miracle Hill, where Cabot Yerxa lived. His home is now Cabot's Pueblo Museum. Some of the early settlers, including Cabot, lived atop the hot water Aquifer. Some were located atop the top of the aquifer, which is now known as Miracle Hill. The spas were built by the Martin Family, who eventually sold it in 1981 to a local legend, Lois Blackhill. Upon her death in 1996, her family sold it to two longtime regulars and close friends of Lois', trans-media designer April Greiman and architect-educator Michael Rotondi, who restored it to its original state. It was purchased by Angela Rutherford in 2018.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Desert Hot Springs, Riverside County, California = 1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 50. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Desert Hot Springs = 5.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 32,512 individuals with a median age of 30 age the population grows by 52.90% in Desert Hot Springs, Riverside County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,074.03 residents per square mile of area (414.68/km²). There are average 2.87 people per household in the 8,763 households with an average household income of $31,669 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 15.10% of the available work force and has dropped -6.49% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 11.92%. The number of physicians in Desert Hot Springs per 100,000 population = 109.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Desert Hot Springs = 7.7 inches and the annual snowfall = 3.3 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 21. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 271. 108 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 42 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 18, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Desert Hot Springs, Riverside County, California which are owned by the occupant = 39.33%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 19 years with median home cost = $87,520 and home appreciation of -17.27%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $9.19 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,722 per student. There are 22.3 students for each teacher in the school, 8018 students for each Librarian and 983 students for each Counselor. 6.14% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 6.42% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 2.38% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).