In the middle of the California desert, about halfway between Riverside and Palm Springs, lies an oasis of sorts in Cabazon. This small community is highly rural but is home to popular shopping and entertainment destinations. “It’s super desert living and very quiet. The casino is right there, so there’s good work at the casino. And then there’s the shops at Cabazon. That’s where everybody goes. Even people not from here go to those outlets,” says Tyler Hungerford, leader of the Hungerford team at Keller Williams Riverside. Sitting along Interstate 10, this small desert neighborhood is home to the Desert Hills Premium Outlets, which features several high-end stores that attract shoppers from all around. The Morongo Casino Resort & Spa is a popular destination for concerts, entertainment, casino games, dining and much more. When residents have had enough of the lights and the glamour for one day, they can retreat to their quiet homes south of the highway, combining a mix of lifestyles in Cabazon. Cabazon residents have access to some of the best shopping in Southern California at Desert Hills Premium Outlets. This large outdoor mall has high-end outlet stores, including brands like Calvin Klein, LOFT, Armani and Gucci. Residents can browse stores in the Mission-style buildings before stopping for a snack at Blaze Pizza, a counter-serve chain serving thin-crust pizzas. Just east of the mall, Morongo Casino Resort & Spa is a large resort with several amenities. The hotel has multiple restaurants, including Cielo Steakhouse, an elegant, refined restaurant known for its steak and seafood options. There are several fast-food restaurants around the resort, including In-N-Out Burger, Panda Express and Taco Bell. Hadley Fruit Orchards is a local store selling produce and other grocery items. The store is famous for its date milkshakes. For other grocery options, residents must make the 6-mile drive west to Banning to shop at Banning Village Market or head a few more miles to Beaumont to shop at Albertsons and Walmart. Cabazon mostly has modest ranch-style and new traditional houses in a desert landscape. Buyers can find some Spanish-style houses with tile roofs and narrow shotgun homes in the neighborhood. There are also a few manufactured homes throughout the community. Some streets feature houses clustered close together, while other parts of the neighborhood have plenty of open space, adding to the rural feel of the community. Hungerford says cost is another big draw for buyers. “It’s cheaper, entry-level housing. Your dollar goes pretty far in terms of your housing and the type of land that you get,” Hungerford says. Investment properties and fixer-uppers can be found for $150,000 to $300,000, while well-kept homes can cost between $300,000 and $400,000. Buyers should be aware of the high wildfire risk in the neighborhood, which is heightened due to the wide-open desert landscape. Multiple recreation options in and around Cabazon provide plenty of outdoor fun for residents. Cabazon Community Park is a small public park in the heart of the neighborhood that has multiple activities. Residents can bring a basketball for a pick-up game on one of the courts or grab their skateboard to work on their skills at the skate park. The park also has a baseball field, walking paths and a playground. The Cabazon Dinosaurs are just north of the Interstate and are a popular roadside attraction. These giant concrete dinosaurs were built in the 1960s and have been featured in several movies. Today, residents can visit the attraction for photo ops and dig for fossils and gemstones at the roadside park. About 6 miles east of the neighborhood, the Pacific Crest Trail crosses Interstate 10. This 2,650-mile trail traverses the nearby San Jacinto Mountains, giving residents plenty of nearby hiking opportunities. Cabazon Elementary School, rated a C by Niche; Nicolet Middle School, rated a C-minus; and Banning High School, rated a B-minus, all serve the neighborhood. Cabazon Elementary is conveniently located in the heart of the neighborhood, while the other two schools are about 6 miles west in Banning. Banning High School serves approximately 1,200 students and has a student-teacher ratio of 23-to-1. The school has earned silver medal status in the US News and World Report’s rankings of best high schools. Students at the school can take various AP and dual enrollment courses through a partnership with Mt. San Jacinto Junior College. Despite the neighborhood’s rural and isolated location, multiple bus stops in the area connect to the nearby city of Banning. Route 1 of the Banning Transit system has stops at the outlet mall, the casino, the intersection of Carmen Avenue and Broadway, and the intersection of Esperanza Avenue and Elm Street. The bus system can take riders as far west as the Walmart in Beaumont. For those who prefer to drive, Interstate 10 is conveniently located in the neighborhood’s northern end and gives residents a route 17 miles east to Palm Springs or 37 miles west to Riverside. Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs is the neighborhood's closest hospital, accessible via I-10 and Highway 111. Learn more on the Cabazon city guide.