We’ve said it before, but it remains true: our business model doesn’t depend on clicks — but you still clicked a lot in 2025. In fact, it was a record year for website traffic. And unlike previous years, this year’s most-viewed stories were shaped by breaking news, economic anxiety, and the city’s evolving identity.

While development still played a role, readers gravitated toward urgent public-safety updates, major economic shifts, and stories that captured the tension of a region balancing growth, change, and crisis.

Below is a countdown of the stories you clicked on the most — not all of them are necessarily the biggest stories of the year, but they are the ones that captured your attention — dating back to January and ending earlier this month. Want to revisit any of them? Make sure to click each title to read the full story.

5. Palm Springs becomes haven for Los Angeles fire evacuees as flames ravage their city

In January, massive wildfires tore through Los Angeles, destroying more than 12,000 structures, forcing nearly 100,000 people to evacuate, and claiming two dozen lives. As the crisis deepened, Palm Springs suddenly found itself a refuge for thousands fleeing westward.

Hotels offered discounted rates, local businesses mobilized to help, and city officials launched an information hub to help residents support evacuees.

The story resonated because of its scale and immediacy — and because many readers opened their inboxes that morning to messages from friends and family seeking shelter.

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4. Palm Springs housing market shifts as sales drop while inventory climbs

Long one of the hottest real-estate markets in the region, Palm Springs saw a notable cooling in mid-2025. The Desert Housing Report, which we report out each month, showed sales dropping from 149 to 135 year-over-year for the three-month period ending in June, even as inventory surged to levels not seen in years.

The shift raised questions about affordability, buyer confidence, and whether a multi-year seller’s market was beginning to rebalance.

Housing stories always draw strong readership, but the June analysis seemed to have struck a chord with readers wondering what the change could mean for homeowners, investors, and renters.

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3. Palm Springs at ‘defining moment’ as officials unveil bold plan to break free from tourism dependence

City leaders unveiled a sweeping economic development blueprint proposing a major pivot away from the city’s longtime reliance on tourism dollars — a move prompted by softening Transient Occupancy Tax revenue and rising government costs.

The Palm Springs Economic Development Strategic Framework introduced new strategies for diversifying revenue, easing regulatory barriers, and preparing for long-term economic shifts.

Readers clicked heavily on this story, perhaps because it captured a sense of urgency: declining TOT revenue, a changing hospitality landscape, and the recognition that Palm Springs cannot rely forever on the same economic engine.

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2. In-N-Out eyes former bank building site in Palm Springs for next area restaurant

Few things unite Palm Springs residents like news about restaurants — especially In-N-Out, whose arrival has been rumored for years but never materialized. In January, The Post confirmed that landowners at Smoke Tree Village were actively pursuing plans to convert a former Bank of America property into the city’s first In-N-Out.

Formal plans were later filed, setting off a wave of excitement, debate, and speculation about traffic, design, and whether the city’s long-running fast-food saga might finally be coming to an end.

This story was one of the year’s most shared — proving once again that burgers matter.

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1. One dead after bomb explodes outside reproductive center in downtown Palm Springs

On May 17, tragedy struck downtown when an explosion — later determined to be caused by a bomb — tore through a vehicle parked beside the American Reproductive Centers building on North Indian Canyon Drive.

One person was killed and four were injured in what federal officials immediately labeled “an intentional act of terrorism.” The blast shook nearby businesses, sent debris across the roadway, and prompted a massive multi-agency response.

It was the most-read story of 2025 by a wide margin. Readers far and wide turned to The Post for real-time updates, eyewitness accounts, and confirmation of details amid citywide confusion and fear.

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BONUS: Our most shared social media post

It’s no surprise that our most-shared social post of the year was a May 17 live report from the scene of the car bombing — a moment when The Post’s small staff rose to the occasion, becoming the first media outlet on the scene and the first to confirm both the explosion and the likelihood that it originated from a vehicle near the reproductive clinic.

The moment was a total team effort that may have benefited from the fact we are a small but nimble operation: Publisher Mark Talkington rushed to the scene, posting what he could learn — and confirm — on social media after hearing the explosion from his home roughly a mile away. Editor Kendall Balchan positioned herself at her home, receiving transcripts and images from Talkington, while scouring official reports and other information to keep our lead story updated throughout the day.

Our purposely simple and fact-based Facebook post spread rapidly across all social media as residents sought accurate information. It remained the most-shared post of 2025, surpassing even major development and economic stories.

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THIS WEEK: OUR YEAR END SERIES

MONDAY: Our top 5 stories of 2025, according to the data

TUESDAY: Readers weigh in on their top stories of 2025, predict 2026’s news

WEDNESDAY: Palm Springs in 2025: Leaders look back

THURSDAY: Palm Springs in 2026: City Hall sets priorities

FRIDAY: Meet our 2025 Palm Springs Person of the Year

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