Sandwiched between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, this Riverside County city in the Coachella Valley reflects a unique balance among small-town atmosphere, big-city conveniences and desert-resort living. The estimated 48,000 residents, largely of Mexican-American descent, enjoy superior health care facilities, schools, libraries, parks and recreation. The town’s name derives from “Cathedral Canyon” to the south of the town, named in 1850 by Henry Washington because its rock formations were reminiscent of a cathedral. Locals gave it the nickname “Cat City.”
