The town's name derives from "Cathedral Canyon" to the south of the town, so named in 1850 by Henry Washington because its rock formations were reminiscent of a cathedral. The city itself started as a housing subdivision in 1925, but was not incorporated until 1981. The city grew 4-5 times in two decades, as the 2006 population estimate is 48,000.
Locals gave it the nickname "Cat City", short for Cathedral. Others like historians claim that came from the reputation as a slinger gaming gulch in the late 1800s, and a safe haven for bars or saloons during prohibition of the 1920s. There are locals opposed to the nickname they believe gave Cathedral City a bad name and negative image of a place full of low-income families, homeless drifters and youth gang crime.
As of the census of 2000, there were 42,647 people, 14,027 households, and 9,622 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,224.0 people per square mile (858.5/km²). There were 17,893 housing units at an average density of 933.1/sq mi (360.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.29% White, 2.74% Black or African American, 1.03% Native American, 3.69% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 23.06% from other races, and 4.11% from two or more races. Roughly half (49.97%) of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Barrio Cats.A 2006 study by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce puts the city's Latino percentage at over 60%. The bulk of Latinos live in the city's older, central section and in the area along Ramon Road between Cathedral Canyon Drive and Landau Boulevard, a section once known as "the Square Mile" but now commonly referred to by the city's denizens as "Little Mexico." To the city's west, along Ramon Road and San Luis Rey Drive, is an area of multi-racial low-income "Dream Homes" politely called "the Circle." Two other largely Hispanic sections of Cathedral City are "the Golden Mile" on Date Palm Drive, from Ramon Road to 30th Avenue and "el Barrio Viejo," also on Date Palm from Dinah Shore to Gerald Ford Drives.
According to the 2000 Census, Cathedral City had a total of 14,027 households, 39.3% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% of which were married couples living together, 11.9% of which had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% of which were non-families. Approximately 23% of all households were made up of individuals with 11.0% of them consisting of single individuals 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 people and the average family size was roughly three and a half people (3.63), which puts Cathedral City above both the California and U.S. averages in those categories. Young couples and singles, and especially the gay and lesbian community, are drawn to the city because of its proximity to Palm Springs and the large availability of apartment units.
As reported in the most recent census, the city's population was distributed across all age groups, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males. Cathedral City has many senior citizen communities and mobile home parks.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,887, and the median income for a family was $42,461. Men had a median income of $29,598, and the median income for women was $25,289. The per capita income for the city was $16,215. About 10.2% of families and 13.6% of the total population had incomes below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over (this despite the fact that many consider Cathedral City a retirement haven).