Riverside County No. 2 Growth County In US

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The Desert Sun of Palm Springs, CA, has a front page spread today about new US Census data that says the Los Angeles-adjacent county of Riverside is booming.

WASHINGTON - Like many who see a balmy bargain in the desert, Al Zappala moved to Indio, cashing in on the high value of his Los Angeles County house to buy something more affordable in the desert.

"I didn't have to put it all back into the house," said Zappala, who is retired from the insurance industry and made the move to the valley in February. "I like the casual desert clothing - it's shorts for most of the day."

Riverside County grew by 76,954 people to about 1.95 million between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005, Census Bureau data released today shows. That's the second-largest increase of the nation's 3,086 counties behind Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix.

But as the county nears the 2 million-person mark, challenges persist. More Coachella Valley residents increase the need for schools, roads, parks and jobs.

By 2014, Riverside County will have more students than any other California county except Los Angeles County.

"We're trying to keep a step ahead of it," Peggy Reyes said of the population increase.

— The Boy in the Big Housing Bubble