The Inland Empire if a separate metropolitian area not attached to Los Angeles Orange counties would outnumber San Diego and San Francisco Oakland the Bay Area is second in Cal if it includes San Jose The population is going to reach 5 or 6 million in another 30 years the most growth shifted to the Victor valley South of Hemet the San Gorgonio pass the Norco area and the fastest growing areas 120 130 miles from L A Indio Coachella has more people than Palm Springs and considerably the next big city Of course the largest is Riverside followed by San Bernardino and the Ontario area has became a major industrial commercial hub of Southern Cal and north America in the 2000s Moreno Valley Temecula Rancho Cucamonga and Redlands are the new formation of the U S post war sprawling suburb plus to add Victorville and Palm Desert with its golf clubs and millionaires 30 years ago this is a mainly rural middle class region but today the Inland Empire has evolved to what s called a yuppified region It reminds me of Orange County of the 1960s 70s and San Fernando valley of the 1940s 50s Not since the mid 1980s has California had an economic worth before the recessions of 1988 1996 had been the worst on state record The major cities and Indio Coachella was the most affected by the recessions and business money avoided them for awhile Today the money went to the lowest housing cost areas and the Inland Empire remains the best real estate deal in the state and nation as the average home price is in the 400s Orange County and San Diego costs twice Los Angeles thrice and anyone moving to Victorville and Coachella will pay a quarter of the state average home price Only a small area of Palm Springs is where the home prices surpass a million but Palm Desert is the real millionaire spot