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Don’t believe that you can’t have it all. You can find a rewarding nursing job where your contributions are valued AND have a fulfilling home life in beautiful surroundings.
It’s the ultimate twofer — a great job and a great place to live — and it can be yours with a nursing career at Eisenhower Health in California’s Coachella Valley.
As an award-winning healthcare leader, Eisenhower Health is committed to performance excellence. Nurses on our team thrive in our inclusive, collaborative environment in which they’re supported, recognized, and rewarded for their contribution to high-quality, safe patient care. They also enjoy working where they love to live in an affordable desert oasis with a relaxed, natural atmosphere that inspires healthy, happy living.
The first of our two-part series explored what living is like in several cities of the Coachella Valley: Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, and Indian Wells. Here, we’ll take a stroll through several more areas — all boasting 360 days of sunshine, short commute times, and a range of outdoor and other activities to fire the imagination or soothe the soul.
Find your happy work-live-play-and-prosper place in the Coachella Valley. We’ll help with up to $15,000 in relocation assistance for qualified applicants. Learn more and view open positions on our Careers page.
Indio: Festivals, Foodies, and Families
Population 89,793
Residents Age 65+ 17%
Median Household Income $49,951
Home Ownership 67%
Median Home Value 247,900
High School Graduate+ 76%
Vibe
Indio is the ideal setting for adult play dates, which might include actual dates (the food kind), swirled into a creamy milkshake in honor of the nearby groves that provide much of the fruit to the U.S. The City of Festivals, so named for its hosting of the famed Coachella and Stagecoach events, draws crowds of music and art lovers from around the country each year. It’s also home to a thriving food scene, offering culinary delights in settings ranging from cafes and bistros to fine dining. This mid-sized city boasts a diverse community, but don’t be put off by its music-loving party reputation if you’re family-oriented. Indio by day has a pedestrian feel and a family-friendly suburban atmosphere, with plenty of parks and well-regarded schools.
Signature Stuff
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — One of the hottest tickets on the music scene, this annual event showcases many of the nation’s top rock, pop, indie, and hip-hop acts (think Beyoncé) as well as emerging artists. Held at the Empire Polo Club, the festival also features much-talked-about art installations and sculptures.
Stagecoach Festival — Not to be outdone by the Coachella rock/pop scene, the Empire Polo Club also hosts the Stagecoach Festival, one of nation’s largest celebrations of country music. The biggest names in country music regularly grace the festival’s stages.
Bet You Didn’t Know
When it’s not chock-full of celebrators of all things music, Indio’s Empire Polo Club is a great place to picnic with the family. There are traditional polo matches to enjoy but also an Empire-only experience: golf cart polo!
La Quinta: Quaint and Outdoorsy
Population 41,304
Residents Age 65+ 24%
Median Household Income $76,131
Home Ownership 71%
Median Home Value $376,100
High School Graduate+ 90%
Vibe
If outdoor recreation is your thing but you’d rather steer clear of a resort mood, look to La Quinta, the “Gem of the Desert.” You’ll find golf galore here (25 area courses!) and exceptional hiking and biking trails with majestic mountains as a backdrop. But you’ll also discover the quaint, cobblestoned Old Town downtown area with its lovely boutiques and eateries (shopping counts as an outdoor activity, right?). Safe neighborhoods are a big draw for the young set that lives in La Quinta; nearly three-quarters of the city’s residents have children under the age of 18.
Signature Stuff
Art on Main Street — Like many of its neighboring cities in the Coachella Valley, La Quinta appreciates art. Its Art on Main Street event, showcasing local artisan talent, is held on select Saturdays throughout the year.
Desert Classic — This annual tournament draws the top names in golf and a viewing public eager to take in awe-inspiring play, spectacular scenery, and post-round concerts.
Bet You Didn’t Know
You’ll find blues in La Quinta — not the down-on-your-luck kind, but the color in vivid hues on doorways and windows, a nod to local Calluilla Indian lore that blue brings good luck.
Palm Desert: Fashion-Forward and Fabulous
Population 52,932
Residents Age 65+ 33%
Median Household Income $56,262
Home Ownership 61%
Median Home Value $328,300
High School Graduate+ 92%
Vibe
Amenities, amenities, and more amenities. Palm Desert has them covered. Art galleries, theaters, restaurants, coffee shops, libraries, parks, a zoo — they’re all here. Oh, and shopping; lots of shopping at upscale establishments and trendy boutiques. The city’s El Paseo Shopping District delights every level of purchaser, from the casual to the discerning, under a cooling canopy of trees. The McCallum Theater, the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert, and a throng of art galleries make Palm Desert a cultural hub in the Coachella Valley. Don’t expect hopping nightlife, though; retirees make up a third of the city’s residents.
Signature Stuff
The Living Desert — Named one of the country’s top zoos and botanic gardens, The Living Desert showcases the flora and fauna of the world’s hot spots, from the African continent to Madagascar and the North American West.
Palm Desert Food and Wine Festival — Three days of culinary glee feature celebrity and up-and-coming chefs from across the country.
Fashion Week El Paseo — Step aside, New York. Palm Desert plays host to runway glitz at this, the largest consumer fashion event on the West Coast.
Bet You Didn’t Know
The swanky El Paseo Shopping District had a not-so-glamorous past. The area on which it now sits was once an Army maintenance camp.
Palm Springs: Casual and Cool
Population 48,142
Residents Age 65+ 30%
Median Household Income $48,126
Home Ownership 59%
Median Home Value $340,600
High School Graduate+ 89%
Vibe
Every positive thing you’ve heard about Palm Springs is true, but the city offers surprises, too. Celebrities and sun worshipers alike have been attracted to its laidback charms for decades. Yes, you’ll find vestiges of Rat Pack glory sprinkled throughout the city (care for a Sinatra Steak at the restaurant Ol’ Blues Eyes frequented?); and yes, you’ll leap to Man Men heaven surrounded by a wealth of midcentury modern architecture. But you’ll also find a diverse community with a thriving LGBTQ+ component and liberal- and conservative-leaning people who actually live and play well together. Palm Springs is an active, health-conscious place; residents enjoy being outdoors, whether hiking and picnicking in Indian Canyons, the spectacular ancestral home of the Cahuilla Indians, or taking a leisurely evening stroll around the neighborhood (cocktail in hand for some!). It’s also surprisingly affordable. The cost of living in Palm Springs is less than the California average.
Signature Stuff
Palm Springs International Film Festival — Each year the city rolls out the red carpet for a world-famous, star-studded annual event spanning 12 days. In 2019 the festival screened more than 180 films from around the world.
Palm Springs Modernism Week — This annual winter event showcases all things midcentury modern, from architecture and design to fashion, art, and culture.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway — Hop aboard the world’s largest rotating tramcar for an awe-inspiring trip along sheer mountain cliffs leading to breathtaking desert mountain views.
Best You Didn’t Know
In the dining room of the city’s American Legion hall, a table for one sits set and unoccupied year-round. It’s reserved for the hopeful return of a serviceman or woman who has gone missing in action or held as a prisoner of war.
Rancho Mirage: Recreation and Respite
Population 18,306
Residents Age 65+ 52%
Median Household Income $64,754
Home Ownership 78%
Median Home Value $483,100
High School Graduate+ 96%
Vibe
Rancho Mirage, home to Eisenhower Health’s main campus, is pristine; you won’t find a cigarette butt or discarded fast food wrapper on the grounds of this lush community. Mostly a residential city, it’s been characterized as one big golf course — more than a dozen verdant (and world-class) fairways dot the landscape. Still, there’s plenty of outdoor activity to be had in Rancho Mirage that doesn’t involve teeing up. The city ranks highly in walkability, and four manicured community parks offer recreation and respite for people of all ages. A range of restaurants, shopping, a casino, and four noted spas reveal the city’s sophisticated but playful nature.
Signature Stuff
Sunnylands Center and Gardens ‑ Nine acres of desert gardens form the backdrop of this celebrated center that regularly hosts international leaders for political retreats. Tours of the Sunnylands’ historic home, art exhibits, and gardens are open to the public.
Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert – Families learn together in this welcoming museum that cultivates curiosity and focuses on personal growth.
Bet You Didn’t Know
Rancho Mirage is nicknamed the “playground of presidents.” Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Barack Obama have enjoyed downtime here.
Principal sources:
U.S. Census Bureau (2017 estimates)
Originally posted on 5/6/2019