Make no mistake about it: The Coachella Valley is booming.


Since 2006, an estimated 33 people daily have become desert residents. And our growth rate since 2000 - standing at 32 percent - is moving faster than the state average, the surrounding Inland Empire and the national average.

Such growth has acted like a giant rock in a pool of water: The ripple effects touch numerous aspects of our economy - from home construction to commercial development, road improvements and more service-oriented companies and retailers relocating to the desert.

And more growth is coming.

Economist John Husing, a Southern California expert on demographics, business and labor trends, told business leaders last month at the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership luncheon, "Like it or not, the edge of urban Southern California is now quite close to the Coachella Valley."

In an analysis included in CVEP's economic report for the year, Husing wrote: "Today, the Coachella Valley has an economy that has become increasingly prosperous. However, it is one that is still overly vulnerable to seasonal and national cyclical fluctuations."

Here's a closer look at population trends in the valley, information from the California Department of Finance that's been analyzed by CVEP and Husing.

They are part of The Desert Sun's weekly analysis of economic and demographic trends, a snapshot that reflects the opportunities and the challenges of our regional economy.


Desert Sun