Although the city was only incorporated in 1973, the Annenberg Estate in the area had long been popular with the wealthy and powerful. Several US presidents have vacationed here, and Gerald Ford was a frequent visitor who later bought a house. The Betty Ford Center is located in the Eisenhower Medical Center of the town.
Geography
Rancho Mirage is located at 33°46'9" North, 116°25'16" West (33.769227, -116.421050)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 64.0 km² (24.7 mi²). 63.0 km² (24.3 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.58% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 13,249 people, 6,813 households, and 4,074 families residing in the city. The population density is 210.4/km² (544.9/mi²). There are 11,816 housing units at an average density of 187.7/km² (486.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 92.69% White, 0.89% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 3.62% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races. 9.44% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 6,813 households out of which 10.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% are married couples living together, 5.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% are non-families. 32.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 19.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 1.92 and the average family size is 2.36.
In the city the population is spread out with 10.3% under the age of 18, 2.7% from 18 to 24, 14.0% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 43.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 61 years. For every 100 females there are 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $59,826, and the median income for a family is $78,384. Males have a median income of $50,027 versus $36,529 for females. The per capita income for the city is $58,603. 5.9% of the population and 4.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.4% are under the age of 18 and 3.2% are 65 or older.