For years, many ambitious professionals were locked into a certain career trajectory. One that involved commuting to an office, remaining in that building for eight-plus hours a day, then returning to a high-priced residence in an overly congested city. It was simply the cost of doing business in a major metro.
The work-from-home movement changed all that.
Suddenly, people who had spent their careers tethered to Los Angeles, the Bay Area, New York, and other high-cost markets had the opportunity to reconsider where and how they were spending their time.
Once work could happen anywhere, the question became less about where professionals had to live and more about where they actually wanted to live.
“When our industries allowed for working from home, it opened up an entirely different universe for us that was never available,” says Eric Cunningham, a TV writer and story producer for Sony and Audible who works remotely with his wife from Rancho Mirage. “The Greater Palm Springs area had that perfect blend of more-affordable homes, proximity to LA, direct flights to NYC, and all the benefits of vacation living.”
ROOM TO GROW
Cunningham and his wife didn’t initially target Greater Palm Springs as a permanent homebase. Instead, they rented an Airbnb for a month in Palm Springs and traveled to LA on weekends to apartment hunt.
“In between Zooms we could wade into the pool; it was great,” he says. “We ended up getting an apartment in LA, and as soon as we moved in, we were like, ‘What are we doing?’”
That’s when a moment of clarity kicked in. If the work-from-anywhere environment allowed them to live anywhere, why would they stay tied to a high-cost, high-traffic metro?
“The day our lease was up we headed back to the Greater Palm Springs area,” Cunningham continues. “Unlike in LA, we could afford to buy here, got a yard for the first time, which let us get the dogs we'd wanted but never had room for.”
Dakin Straub, director of intelligent automation and AI for Blue Shield of California, understands the appeal.
“The math is hard to argue with,” he says. “Homes here are far more affordable than coastal SoCal, and you get significantly more for what you pay.”
But the decision to relocate and work from Greater Palm Springs was about more than cost. It was what the region made possible throughout the workday. Straub points to year-round access to hiking, tennis, road biking, and hockey, along with quick escapes to Joshua Tree or the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
“The real differentiator is quality of life,” he adds. “The desert pace creates space to do deep, focused work, then step away and actually recharge. That balance makes me more effective, not less.”
It can also help professionals expand their horizons, opening up a new reality far beyond a digital screen.
“You just discover new sides to yourself that you couldn't before,” Cunningham says.
Since moving to Greater Palm Springs, he’s taken up gardening and composting. The region also allowed Cunningham to take his love of space exploration and astronomy to the next level.
“Now, I actually have time to volunteer, which I do at the Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory,” he explains. “I love that I get to give tours of the only library with a research-grade telescope.”
THE QUALITY OF CONNECTIVITY
Cunningham may have gained time away from the time obligations associated with a major metro, but remote work still requires travel for many, which means a region must also offer convenient air and ground transportation.
For Chris Wilson, engineering director of infrastructure security at Google, that was one of the biggest surprises he encountered when he traded in the Bay Area for Palm Springs.
“Our airport is hard to beat,” he says. “I’ve made it from my driveway to the gate in as little as 12 minutes. We have nonstop flights to the Bay Area and Seattle year-round, which makes my travel pretty quick and efficient.”
Cunningham and his wife have had similar experiences as they continue their regular treks to LA and New York.
“PSP is just the best airport I’ve ever been to,” he says. “The security lines are always short, but I still get there two hours early anyway because it’s just a chill, relaxing spot. I can’t believe I said that about an airport.”
Straub agrees, noting the airport is a “genuine asset” that offers unique architecture and security lines you can clear “in minutes.”
With Los Angeles being a 2.5-hour drive away, Greater Palm Springs residents also have the option to commute by car or take the MetroLink from nearby Riverside, eliminating the headaches of traffic and parking.
THE PEOPLE OF GREATER PALM SPRINGS
The lifestyle can often be the headline in Greater Palm Springs, but Cunningham believes the community aspect shouldn’t be overlooked.
“I actually know my neighbors' names – it's not just ‘Apartment 3C’ or ‘Loud Guy Upstairs,’” he says. “My first friend here had a whole career of successful startups in Silicon Valley. The other day I was chatting with a random person who wrote on Golden Girls. My neighbor used to own the Winnipeg Jets. It's indescribable what a resource their wisdom and networks are.”
The professional networks are equally as deep, with Cunningham pointing to the Coachella Valley Innovation Alliance, Palm Desert Entrepreneurial Resource Center, Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center, SCORE Inland Empire, Emerge Palm Springs, the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber, and Visit Greater Palm Springs as groups that support entrepreneurs and business owners.
“The entrepreneurial ecosystem here is thriving and there's tons of groups all geared towards boosting your business,” he adds.
Wilson loves the diversified mix of activity within the region, with outdoor recreation rounded out by events like Modernism Week, Coachella, and the Palm Springs Film Festival.
“There always seems to be something going on,” he says. “Living here, you get the best of both worlds: vibrant energy with lots of visitors during the peak season and feeling like you have a private resort town to yourself as a local in the summer.”
The luxury of balance is one that can often be overlooked. And it’s one that provides an even greater perk: choice.
“The rhythm here – the space, the calm, the ease of stepping outside – changes how you work and how you feel doing it,” Straub says. “It's an amazing feeling to be able to jump in the pool if I'm taking a break between calls or simply enjoy a sip of coffee outside and listen to the wind through the palm trees.”
