45-701 Monroe Street
Suite G, Plaza 1
Indio, CA 92201

Phone: (760) 347-3157
Fax: (760) 342-6466
john.mealey@cvhc.org www.cvhc.org/index.html

County Served: Riverside

Incorporated: 1982

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Riverside County is the fourth largest county in California, about 200 miles wide and covering more than 7,200 square miles of river valleys, low deserts, mountains, foothills, and rolling plains. The eastern part, Coachella Valley, despite being located in California's hot desert region, it is home to fertile land for growing fruit and produce throughout the year. There is a large amount of rural sprawl in the area, including resorts and country club golf resorts utilizing much valuable agriculture land. Countering this wealth is a high poverty and unemployment rate, 31 and 21 percent respectively.

Approximately 61 percent of the Valley's population is of Hispanic origin. Many are immigrants, and an overwhelming majority of residents are employed in low-wage jobs that do not stretch far enough to cover housing and critical social services. The Coachella Valley's three largest employment sectors - retail trade, agriculture, and hotel and amusement - are among the lowest paid sectors in the area. The average annual salary of a Valley farmworker in 1999 was $14,991.