Cathedral City
Central Coachella Valley city between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage along SR-111 — Mary Pickford Theatre, Big League Dreams, Agua Caliente Cathedral City Casino, and the Desert Princess 27-hole country club
Why People Move Here
Cathedral City (population ~52,500) sits along SR-111 / East Palm Canyon Drive in the central-western Coachella Valley, sandwiched between Palm Springs to the west and Rancho Mirage to the east, with the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument rising immediately to the south and I-10 along the northern edge. Named for Cathedral Canyon — a sandstone feature in the Santa Rosa Mountains whose vaulted walls reminded early settlers of a cathedral's interior — and incorporated November 16, 1981 as the Coachella Valley's second municipality, Cathedral City offers some of the most accessibly priced single-family housing among the resort-corridor cities, with Zillow reporting a 2026 typical home value of $485,569 (up 2.5% YoY) and Redfin reporting a January 2026 median sale price of $505K. Downtown Cathedral City — centered on Pickfair Street across from City Hall — anchors the 130-acre redevelopment area completed in the mid-2000s, with the 13-screen Mary Pickford Theatre (and its 270-degree ScreenX auditorium, opened May 2024), the Cathedral City Civic Center, the Festival Lawn, and the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater. Big League Dreams Sports Park (major-league stadium replicas on Date Palm Dr), Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City (24-hour gaming, Café One Eleven, Agave Caliente Terraza), and the 27-hole Desert Princess Country Club guard-gated 55+ community (667 condos + 463 villas; ~$218K-$890K) are the recreational headliners. Palm Springs Unified School District (Niche B; 20,416 students across five Coachella Valley cities) serves the community, with Cathedral City High School (Niche B+; 1,370 students; International Baccalaureate + AP; HEAL and Data academies) as the comprehensive high school. Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) is ~5 miles / 10 minutes west via Ramon Rd; SunLine Transit Route 2 runs frequent service between Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, and Indio, and SunRide microtransit serves Cathedral City zones — but there is no Metrolink commuter rail in the Coachella Valley (nearest station is the San Bernardino Line terminus ~70 mi W). The city has received repeat perfect 100 scores on the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index and hosts the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival (25,000+ attendees), LGBT Days, and the Taste of Jalisco Festival each year on the Festival Lawn.
Key Statistics
Data sourced from census records, school district reports, and local transit authorities.
Commute Times
School Districts
Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD, K-12)
B- 28 schools and 20,416 students across Cathedral City, Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, and Thousand Palms
- Average Niche user review: 4.2/5 (154 reviews)
- Cathedral City High School (grades 9-12): Niche B+, 1,370 students, 20:1 student-teacher ratio, International Baccalaureate (IB) school that also offers AP; two academies on campus — HEAL (Health, Education & Athletic Learning) and Data
- Nellie N. Coffman Middle School (Cathedral City): Niche C+, GreatSchools 4/10, 951 students, 21:1 ratio, 15% math proficiency, 32% reading proficiency (California state tests)
FAQ — Cathedral City
What is the commute from Cathedral City to Palm Springs International Airport?
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) is ~5 miles / about 10 minutes west of Cathedral City via Ramon Road or Date Palm Drive. Downtown Palm Springs is ~10 miles / about 15 minutes west via Gene Autry Trail (the fastest route) or ~13 miles / 20 minutes via SR-111 / East Palm Canyon Drive. Rancho Mirage is about 5-10 minutes east on SR-111, Palm Desert is ~7 miles / 12-15 minutes east, and Indio is about 20-25 minutes east via I-10 or SR-111. Regional access to Riverside runs ~75-90 minutes west on I-10 through the San Gorgonio Pass, and Los Angeles is about 2 hours away. The Coachella Valley has no Metrolink commuter rail — the nearest station is the San Bernardino Line terminus in downtown San Bernardino, ~70 miles west.
What schools serve Cathedral City, CA?
Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) serves Cathedral City with a Niche overall grade of B for 2026 — 20,416 students across 28 schools in Cathedral City, Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, and Thousand Palms; average Niche user review 4.2 of 5. Cathedral City High School (grades 9-12) carries a Niche B+ grade with 1,370 students and a 20:1 student-teacher ratio, operates as an International Baccalaureate school that also offers AP coursework, and hosts two campus academies — HEAL (Health, Education & Athletic Learning) and Data. Nellie N. Coffman Middle School is Niche C+ (GreatSchools 4/10) with 951 students and reports 15% math proficiency and 32% reading proficiency on California state tests. Verify enrollment eligibility by address — PSUSD boundaries do not follow city limits exactly.
What is the housing market like in Cathedral City?
Zillow reports a 2026 typical home value of $485,569, up 2.5% year-over-year. Redfin reports a January 2026 median sale price of $505K, down 1.2% YoY, with homes spending ~82 days on market (vs. 65 last year) and 32 January sales compared with 50 a year earlier. Orchard's rolling 30-day median runs $609,000, down 4.7%. Neighborhood medians vary: Dream Homes (mid-century tract built 1958-1966) ~$377K per Homes.com; Desert Princess Country Club reports a 12-month median sale of $360,500 (per PSHomes) with condos $218K-$425K and freestanding villas up to ~$890K. Cathedral City is generally priced below Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, and La Quinta, and above Indio and Desert Hot Springs.
What is Downtown Cathedral City and the Mary Pickford Theatre?
Downtown Cathedral City is centered on Pickfair Street across from City Hall and anchors the 130-acre redevelopment district completed in the mid-2000s. The Mary Pickford Theatre is D'Place (36-850 Pickfair St), named for the silent-film legend, is a 13-screen luxury cinema operated by D'Place Entertainment with luxury recliners, D-BOX motion seats, 3D, and a new ScreenX 270-degree panoramic auditorium that opened May 24, 2024 with the release of Furiosa. On-site Cinema Café serves stone-fired pizza, craft beverages, and house-made ice cream. The adjacent Cathedral City Civic Center and Festival Lawn host the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival (November), Cathedral City LGBT Days (March), and the Taste of Jalisco Festival, along with the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater for outdoor concerts and film.
What are the crime statistics in Cathedral City?
The Cathedral City Police Department — an independent municipal force rather than a Riverside County Sheriff contract — reported to the City Council on March 12, 2025 that violent crime fell 10% from 2023 to 2024 and property crime fell 11%, with arson rising from 7 incidents to 15 and shoplifting rising from 45 to 88. In 2025, Crimes Against Persons fell 1%, property crime fell 12% (motor vehicle theft -31%, vehicle-parts theft -58%, stolen property -56%, identity theft -35%), and shoplifting rose 24% (attributed to California Prop 36 effective December 18, 2024 increasing retailer reporting). Crimes Against Society rose 35% (narcotics +37%, drug equipment +70%), also attributed to Prop 36 and more proactive policing. The city recorded two homicides and two manslaughters in 2025 compared with none in 2024. Verify current statistics via FBI Uniform Crime Reporting and the Cathedral City Police Department.
What healthcare options are in Cathedral City?
Two major hospitals sit within ~10 minutes of Cathedral City: Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs (Level 2 trauma, ~385 beds) and Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage (~542 beds and the Coachella Valley's primary tertiary hospital with an NCI-designated cancer center). Eisenhower operates two primary-care clinics inside Cathedral City — Eisenhower Primary Care at Cathedral City North (67780 E. Palm Canyon Dr, B-107; open Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm) and South (67555 E. Palm Canyon Dr, Suite C112; open Monday-Thursday 8am-5pm, Friday 8am-2pm). Additional Eisenhower Immediate Care / Express Health Care urgent-care sites are in the city, plus Kaiser Permanente Coachella Valley offices in Palm Springs and Indio, and JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio (~25 min E). Loma Linda University Medical Center (Level 1 trauma) is ~75 minutes west via I-10.
What outdoor recreation is available in Cathedral City?
Big League Dreams Sports Park (33-700 Date Palm Dr; opened 1998) features major-league replica fields of Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Yankee Stadium, plus indoor and outdoor soccer, sand volleyball, batting cages, horseshoe pits, a 20,000 sq ft indoor pavilion, and Stadium Club restaurants. Patriot Park (7.5 acres, opened 1960) offers two playgrounds, sand volleyball and tennis courts, an off-leash dog park with separate small and large dog areas, and a walking path. The Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument sits immediately south of the city and includes Cathedral Canyon — the sandstone feature that gives the city its name. Desert Princess Country Club offers a 27-hole Dick Bailey-designed championship golf course rated among the valley's best by Golf Digest. Cathedral Canyon Country Club adds a second golf-course address. The regional CV Link shared-use path (phased construction) parallels the Whitewater River and will eventually connect Cathedral City to Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, and Palm Desert. Coachella Valley Preserve and Big Morongo Canyon Preserve are 20 minutes east and north respectively, and Joshua Tree National Park's west entrance is ~45 minutes north.
Who are the largest employers in Cathedral City?
The Coachella Valley's employment base is concentrated in tourism/hospitality, healthcare, government, and auto retail. Major employers in or adjacent to Cathedral City include the Agua Caliente Casinos (owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; Cathedral City, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage properties), Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage (~542 beds), Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs (Level 2 trauma), Palm Springs Unified School District (20,416 students across 28 schools), the City of Cathedral City municipal government and its independent Police Department, the Cathedral City Auto Center along SR-111, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio (~25 min E, Cabazon Band of Mission Indians), Morongo Casino Resort Spa (~20 min NW, Morongo Band), Palm Springs International Airport concessions and Customs & Border Protection (PSP is a port of entry), Panda Restaurant Group, and Big League Dreams. The Coachella Valley's population roughly doubles during the peak "snowbird" season from November through April.
What is the sales tax and property tax in Cathedral City?
Cathedral City's combined sales tax rate is 9.25% (2026), comprising the 6% California state base, 0.25% Riverside County, the 1.5% Cathedral City Transaction & Use Tax, and 1.5% Special District measures per the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. The Cathedral City TUT increased from 1.00% to 1.50% effective April 1, 2025. Effective property-tax rates run about 1.0-1.1% (the 1% California ad valorem base plus voter-approved district debt), with HOA dues and any CFD / Mello-Roos assessments varying widely by subdivision — Desert Princess Country Club, Cathedral Canyon CC, and other master-planned tracts carry HOA dues that cover amenities and grounds. California state income tax is progressive up to a 13.3% top marginal rate and applies to retirement-income distributions. Verify any CFD or special-assessment status for a specific address with a title report before purchase.
What is the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival?
The Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival is a three-day November event on the Festival Lawn in Downtown Cathedral City, across from City Hall. It has grown from a few thousand attendees at its 2015 inception to more than 25,000 visitors and has been listed among the Top 14 U.S. Hot Air Balloon Festivals by US News & World Report. The festival opens each morning with a picturesque sunrise launch of more than 20 balloons and also includes a Food Truck Fiesta, live musical entertainment, and a beer and wine garden. The Festival Lawn is also the home venue for Cathedral City LGBT Days (early March; 10th annual March 6-8, 2026 — the city has received repeat perfect 100 scores on the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index) and the Taste of Jalisco Festival.
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