[8]: 27  Although Cahuilla people never settled permanently in today's Desert Hot Springs,[8]: 11  they often camped here during winter times due to the warm climate.

[8]: 7 According to early homesteader and writer Cabot Yerxa in his newspaper columns published in The Desert Sentinel newspaper, the first homesteader in the area of the city of Desert Hot Springs was Hilda Maude Gray, who staked her claim in 1908.

His large Pueblo Revival Style architecture structure, hand built over 20 years, is now one of the oldest adobe-style buildings in Riverside County and houses Cabot's Pueblo Museum, designated a state historical site after his death in 1965.

The original town site was centered at the intersection of Palm Drive and Pierson Boulevard and was only one square mile.

"[8]: 8  Realtors arrived to speculate, and thousands of lots were laid out over a six-square mile area.

Desert Hot Springs experienced periods of significant growth in the 1980s and 1990s when most of the vacant lots were filled with new houses and duplex apartments.

[8]: 11 According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.66 square miles (79.4 km2), of which 98.73% is land, and 1.27% is water.

[8]: 8  It is located just south of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park.

Summers are very hot with days frequently exceeding 107 °F (42 °C) in July and August while night-time lows tend to stay between 78–90 °F (26–32 °C).

Summer winds and the higher elevation keep Desert Hot Springs on average 5-7 degrees cooler than other communities in Coachella Valley.

[8] However, the winter season can be warmer due to the surrounding mountains blocking north winds.

This aquifer provides fresh water to the city and has received awards for exceptional taste.

[8]: 25 The 2010 United States Census[note 1] reported that Desert Hot Springs had a population of 25,938.

There were 10,902 housing units at an average density of 461.1 per square mile (178.0/km2), of which 4,166 (48.2%) were owner-occupied, and 4,484 (51.8%) were occupied by renters.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Desert Hot Springs had a median household income of $32,883, with 28.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Desert Hot Springs has a reputation as an active adult community where many retirees choose to live.

According to the Desert Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the city's population is over 10 percent African-American or Black.

The growing use of solar power accompanied by many windmills make Desert Hot Springs a leading city in renewable energy.

[31] The bankruptcy was resolved in 2004[32] by selling municipal bonds when it faced a legal judgment[note 2][33] of almost $6 million.

Some of the better-known spa hotels in Desert Hot Springs include: At one time, there were 43 small spas (6 to 10 guest rooms) in the city.

Some were located atop the hot water aquifer on Miracle Hill, where Cabot Yerxa, one of the early settlers, lived.

Upon her death in 1996, her family sold it in 1997 to two longtime regulars and close friends of Blackhill's, trans-media designer April Greiman and architect-educator Michael Rotondi, who restored it to its original state.

The Desert Hot Springs Motel, designed by architect John Lautner is located just outside the city limits.

[44][45] In 2006 the architectural firm of Marmol Radziner + Associates designed a sustainable, modernist prefab home featured in the November 2006 issue of Dwell magazine.

Although never a resident, Marilyn Monroe occasionally visited the spas in Desert Hot Springs.

[15] Surrounding areas are home to a number of species adapted for the desert climate and temperature extremes.