Growing young

Thanks to tens of thousands of retirees, most of whom flocked to the area between the 1960s and 1980s, a small stretch of Florida Avenue in downtown Hemet once had one of the richest concentrations of bank deposits in America. And although the number of banks -- and retirees -- has since lessened, the city has recently become a hot spot of a different sort.

Bank of Hemet

As with much of Inland Southern California, homebuyers are quickly snapping up new homes sprouting up throughout the San Jacinto Valley. The influx is quickly transforming the area's demographics into a younger, more affluent population, one which has caught the attention of national retail and dining establishments.

In the past few years, Hemet has seen, or will soon see, the opening of Office Depot, Applebees, Chili's, Petco, PetSmart, LA Fitness as well as multiple Starbucks, outlets long absent within the San Jacinto Valley:

With the influx of new developments has come the inevitable increase in traffic. But it has also increased the city's sales tax coffers. City figures show that Hemet's sales tax revenue increased from $7.3 million in 2002 to $10 million today. That translates into extra money for the city's roads, parks and public safety programs.

Indeed, today's Hemet is not the Hemet of your grandfather (or grandmother).

Related

• Riverside Press-Enterprise - Chain reaction